Satellite
by Cloud Auditore Fair
Summary: Crushing on your best friend is hard when you don't realize destiny wrote your names beside each other in bold and underlined them. Silly and easy with a sprinkle of sadness and drama. Features Shifter!Bella because this is an AU no one asked for but I'm giving it to you.
1. Like The Tides

**A/N:** -sighs- This is my fuck up and it is completely and totally Paige's fault, okay. She gave me some serious Bellice feels. Tegan is grinning, I'm sure.

Simple, easygoing thing. I needed this and it wouldn't leave me alone and I write this when I can't sleep. Which is often.

So, here we are with Satellite, in which Bella learns what an imprint is, Alice is delighted to learn mates and imprints can line up, Esme finally gets to feed someone, and it's a cute mess along the way.

* * *

"This is ridiculous." Rosalie's irritated statement, accented by her slapping a hand to their lunch table, either had them looking at her, sighing, or, in the case of Alice, ready to flee. She levelled a glare on her sister that kept her in her seat and her voice dropped to a quick whisper that resembled hissing. "Your uncharacteristic doubt is driving us crazy. She's not a Quileute, she hasn't done a single threatening thing in the four months she's been here. We all had arguments for days about whether to leave, stay, or kill her. You _insist_ she is important, that you'll be best friends. But you can't get a vision when she's involved. But you haven't said a single _word_ to her. Either she's your best friend and all this guessing stops or she's not. You can't say she will be and just, _this_." She gestured erratically at Alice who lacked her usual spunk and avoided eye contact.

Edward let out another sigh as his cheek remained against the table. "Not everything is black and white, dear sister."

She whipped around to point at him. "You're just pissy because she's apparently a shield and your singer but she smells like a wet, damn dog. Sorry, Alice, habit. So she's unappetizing and delightful all at once and I actually understand being upset about that. I do not envy you."

"Babe, calm d—" Emmett broke out into a series of coughs upon receiving a glare and went as far as lightly slapping his own chest.

"More importantly, all of this is driving _me_ crazy. Esme is excited to cook for this girl. You're less annoying than usual. So what is it? You can't give me the 'Oh, no, I am terribly weird and will run her off' bit again because she turns into a fucking wolf. A wolf, Alice."

Opening her mouth and letting out a hesitant noise as her eyes travelled, looking for an excuse, Alice started motioning her hand in a small circle.

"I agree."

Alice looked at Jasper like he'd betrayed her, but he was too busy having a silent conversation with his "twin."

"Oh, no," Edward muttered, cheek still pressed to the table in his misery.

"What? Tell me!"

Emmett smothered a laugh at the way Alice's voice had pitched higher than usual.

Rosalie stood up. "I'll be back."

Alice latched onto her arm with wide eyes and the most desperate look Rosalie had ever seen on her face in the sixty years they'd known each other. "Rose, please sit down. Please don't do whatever you're thinking of doing."

For a moment, Rosalie's lips pursed and she searched uncharacteristically dull eyes. Then she more so shook off Alice than pulled her arm away and she paused after a few steps to partially look back over her shoulder. Her tone was almost apologetic. "You're my sister."

Alice slid into Rosalie's vacated seat and leaned down to the table to meet Edward's eyes. "What's she doing? What's she thinking?" When he just smiled, she sat up so fast she bounced off the chair for a second and it creaked under her weight. "Is this how you guys feel all the time?"

"More or less," Jasper drawled as he folded his arms, avoiding a smile to spare her feelings.

Watching the blonde saunter over to Bella's empty table, Alice's fingers dug into the table. "I hate this."

Edward chuckled as he at last sat up and shamelessly stared across the cafeteria.

The bubbles of silence and whispers over Rosalie went unnoticed by Bella as she bounced her knee in time to the song in her ears and continued to tap away at her phone, annoyance pulling at her mouth.

She sat next to the shifter and watched fingers freeze and an eyebrow twitch in response to her presence.

Bella pulled out her earbuds and focused green eyes on Rosalie, scooting her chair so that she faced her more instead of directly forward. "What can I do for you, Miss Hale?"

She bit back a smirk. There was no way even an oblivious, ignorant shifter couldn't identify the distinct otherness of a vampire. And yet _that_ was the route Bella Swan chose. "I like your truck."

Amusement twitched on Bella's lips, but she just locked her phone and slid it into her pocket, bundling her earbuds to put them away. "I'm fond of it myself, but I love your Mustang. The Cobra models are my favorite next to the older Shelbys."

Rosalie's eyebrow rose a little. "Unexpected, but not unpleasant."

"I'll have to beg you to elaborate."

"Then beg." She watched excitement sparkle in those eyes and a slow smile that mirrored her own. Playing games was certainly not what she came here for, nor what she expected from herself.

Bella clicked her tongue and propped her chin on her fist as she leaned against the table, eyes never leaving gold ones. "Not while you have a boyfriend, I don't think so."

"Oh? Forgive me, it seems we're negotiating something I didn't know about."

Bella unfurled her fist to tap her fingers against her mouth. "Liar."

"Guilty."

Across the cafeteria, Alice groaned and dropped her forehead to the table. "I didn't know she'd _seduce_ her." She groaned again when Emmett shushed her.

"Anyway, I came over for a reason."

Rosalie heard Emmett say, "Look cool, Tink," and refrained from smiling.

"Yeah, I figured. So what can I do for you?"

"You can make a decision." Rosalie's gaze dropped as she hummed, but then her eyes snapped back to Bella's green ones, and she saw the shifter grow serious with her. "My sister would like to be your friend, but she's worried that won't work out."

Bella raised an eyebrow idly as she relaxed. "Oh, because of the whole vampire thing."

"No, actually." Rosalie became aware how odd this situation was all over again. And wondered for the thousandth time about the person sitting next to her. "But either way, I want you to decide if you can stand being her friend now as opposed to hurting her later. Should the latter happen, I'll skin you alive in your living room for your father to find."

She heard Alice hiss her name, but she didn't blink, didn't look away. She wanted Bella to fully understand the depth of her promise. And the shifter looked like she did as she held Rosalie's gaze.

Then Bella grinned. "I like you."

"I think I like you, too," Rosalie said with a curve to her lips.

"So what makes her worry?"

Rosalie hummed, looking for the right words, her eyes even landing on Alice herself, who was indeed attempting to look casual. Good thing, too, because Bella looked over with her. "She can be overwhelming. On most days, I want to throw her into the distance just for how she can smile. Other days, I want to kill her. And I say this with love."

Bella nodded to herself, eyes now on the ceiling. "So that's why she's either ignored me or outright walked away the few times I've tried saying hello."

"Yes," Rosalie said simply, even though it wasn't simple. It didn't even make sense. But it would, because she _would_ get to the bottom of this, whatever it was. Wherever it led, though, Alice clearly wanted this particular person to be there, so Rosalie would make sure she was, even if she had to beat up a wolf in the process.

For a few moments, Bella tapped her fingers against her mouth again, gaze still up high. Then it fell on Rosalie. "Thank you very much for this insight. Feel free to let me know if I can assist you further."

Brazen, or perhaps insane, Bella plucked Rosalie's hand from the table and kissed her knuckles with a wink before grabbing her backpack and walking away. She blinked at Bella's back, hand still in the air. Gold eyes dragged to her family table. "Did she actually just walk away from me?"

* * *

A week went by without any changes other than Alice stealing more glances at Bella Swan than usual. Including in the art class they shared, at the table they shared. She didn't even know what she was drawing. The pencil just swept across paper, erratic and without intent. Or maybe it had intent. Chaos. Because that was all she felt. Chaotic and crazy, when she'd been called crazy so many times in her life it could've been her name, but only now did she feel _crazy_.

And now the random lines were forming Carlisle's face when she'd asked him if shifters could reciprocate a vampire's mate bond and she literally shrieked at him not to inquire with anyone that might know more. His "That's a fantastic question! I've never heard of it happening in all my years" haunted her more than enough.

Sighing internally, she scratched out his face, dooming it to be lost among all the harsh lines on the page.

Alice Cullen did not do well with being in the dark. Visions with Bella had holes in them, like she wasn't there. Bella's emotions were "complicated and strange, on occasion," so Jasper wasn't exactly helpful. Edward couldn't read her mind.

And Alice couldn't fucking read her in person because she might as well have been stone and just did not make sense.

Though, she'd never actually had a conversation with her so that could have been a factor.

At least Rosalie liked her.

That had to be a plus.

Except it worried Alice _more_ because they'd talked more than once since that first time in the cafeteria and only Rosalie garnered reactions from Bella Swan from what she'd seen so far. And they flirted so, _so_ much. But at least that all meant Bella did indeed like girls.

Or so Alice told herself as she tried to remain positive.

"Are you alright there, friend?"

Her pencil stopped so harshly the tip broke and shot off to hit the object of her thoughts. The object of her thoughts who lacked her usual, casual tone in favor of one Alice would almost call broken. Almost, because she didn't want to use that word with Bella Swan. The one thing—there was more than one but then she sounded obsessed—she'd gathered about Bella from her interacting with the students of Forks was the fact she was unyielding. Unyielding in a way that reminded her of Rosalie when she thought about it.

And that sent a spike of fear and concern through her because she knew Rosalie was forged through fire.

Finally, after far too much silence on her part, Alice looked up, pencil still pressed too hard to paper, and she saw that Bella was still drawing. Still sitting there with her chin cupped in her palm and looking for all the world like she hadn't spoken. Alice wondered what caused the bags under her eyes, so she asked. "I'm fine. Are you? You sound tired." Okay, so she didn't ask, and she didn't sound relaxed, but she hadn't backflipped out of the room, either.

Bella snorted. "Fine? You're close to drawing the apocalypse over there." Her pen finally stopped moving and she picked up the tip of Alice's pencil from her sketchbook and deposited it in the middle of the chaos Alice had drawn as if to accent her point.

A small, nervous laugh filled the air before she realized the sound came from herself. "So why do you refuse to give up using a pen even though you get points taken off for it sometimes?"

"Because I am made of mistakes." Bella's pen stopped, the tip creating a small puddle of black instead of completing a fine line. She sat up and Alice noticed she was either oblivious or didn't care that she got ink on her fingers with the way she took to spinning her pen. Green eyes met hers for more than two seconds and that was all it took for Alice to start comparing them to jewels. "Sorry, that was darker than I meant to be. I like living with my mistakes. Also, fuck pencils."

Alice decided to move forward positively since some life had returned to Bella's voice. "What did pencils ever do to you?"

"They came into my house and stole my Christmas decorations and Santa has refused to acknowledge me ever since."

It was so unexpected, so unreasonable, so _bizarre_ , that Alice forgot she was supposed to blink at regular intervals and burst into laughter that had the whole class staring at her. Mr. Johnson started chastising her once he got over his shock. After pressing her hand to her mouth and giving a meaningless apology, she turned to Bella again. And the honest half-smile waiting for her that reached green eyes with something deep and thoughtful and unknown swirling in them made her swear her heart tried to beat again.

"You've got a big laugh for someone so small. It's nice."

The smile beneath her hand somehow got bigger and she felt her eyes crinkle with it. "Well, I'll be sure to keep my pencils away from you."

"My savior."

And then Bella was sketching again and Alice's smile fell. It was ridiculous. It was unbelievably _needy_. But she definitely needed more conversation with Bella Swan. Apparently it took less than five minutes for her to become addicted to it. She couldn't imagine going back to making it be enough just to be next to her for one class, five days a week. Like she had for the past two months. As she ran through their conversation to find something to branch off of, one thing registered to her. "You called me your friend."

The pen stopped again and Bella idly scratched her cheek as she looked at her, smearing ink there in the process and it took everything of Alice not to coo. Thank anything and everything Rosalie wasn't the one who could feel emotions because she'd probably throttle Alice and she wouldn't even blame her.

"Well, yeah. Why wouldn't I?"

"We've never talked before this."

Bella cocked an eyebrow and pointed her pen over Alice's shoulder. "There is an empty table there I was stoked to have to myself, but I saw you smile at me before I could get to it. I could've been sitting there this whole time."

Alice looked back and sure enough, it was there. Empty. She stared at it while trying to process that yes, Bella wanted and chose to be around her even when she'd been freakishly weird. Bella chose to be near her when she purposely sat alone at lunch most days, rarely humoring Angela.

"I thought something happened for you to not really smile again, but I don't know you well enough to ask and I don't like being rude. Well, I do, but, anyway, your laugh sounded happy a few minutes ago. And now I'm not really making sense or saying what I wanted to."

Alice turned back around and almost sprinted out the door at the adorably frustrated look on Bella's face as she tried to sort out her words. She managed to appear sane and just smiled a little. "It's okay, I get it."

"Thank god. This is why no one talks to me. I'm a mess."

"We can be a mess together!" Not a composed thing to say, at all. And it didn't help that she'd bounced while saying it. Was she really over a hundred years old?

"Wanna be a mess at the movies tonight?"

"Absolutely," Alice blurted. Where was Rosalie to throw her out the window when she needed it the most?

Except Bella apparently didn't think anything of her answer and, as the bell rang, wrote her phone number in a corner of Alice's sketchbook that was untouched by the previous chaos of her mind. "Text me."

She hardly refrained from texting Bella before she even left the room.

* * *

A sigh dragged out of Rosalie as she pulled her head out from under the hood of Edward's Volvo for the tenth time. She didn't bother hiding the tiredness from her face or looking at the items Alice shook with a sort of desperate insistence. "I'm sure you can wear whatever to your date. All of your clothes are fantastic and you know it."

"It's not a date!" Alice held the two dresses closer to herself, gaze focusing on the car. "I'm just getting to know my best friend."

"You don't even know if it's a date or not?"

"Is being a mess at the movies a date?" She looked at the green dress before setting it atop the Mustang's hood with half a dozen other discards. "You're not good for being a mess."

Rosalie's fists settled on her hips. "What does that even mean?"

"No idea. Blue?"

Sighing even as Alice shook the dress, she looked at it. Didn't dip too low and she already knew it settled nicely over Alice's small shoulders. "Yes. And I'll drop you off so your girlfriend can take you home."

"She's not m—" The syllable died in Alice's tongue under Rosalie's penetrating stare. "Am I so obvious?"

Gold eyes looked at the evidence of Alice sweeping into the garage, desperately seeking her opinion when it was unnecessary. "Esme and Emmett haven't figured it out. I'm guessing the rest know."

Alice swallowed at the unspoken question and hoped her sister wasn't hurt or offended. She fidgeted with the dress in her hands. "I didn't want you to be mad. And I certainly didn't know you'd like her. And—"

"I wouldn't be _mad_ , Alice." The blonde came over and squeezed Alice's shoulder and neither of them mentioned the fact Alice might burn the shirt for having grease on it now. "Concerned, yes. Mad, no."

The hanger broke in Alice's hand, but the dress didn't fall. She looked up with shining eyes that made her sister sigh. "I don't even know if she can feel it! Carlisle's never heard of it and I can't stand someone else saying it. She's so, so, ugh! I feel like a lovestuck teenager. I feel, I, I don't know!"

"Insane?"

" _Yes_."

Rosalie laughed, patting Alice's shoulder before going back to the Volvo. "Sometimes, I am literally beyond disgusted with myself for how happy I feel just seeing Emmett's face. Let me know when you're ready to go and start wooing your mate."

"Thanks, Rose." She started gathering the fifteen dresses she'd brought into the blonde's domain.

"And Alice?"

"Hm?"

"Unheard of or not, she's doomed to you even if I have to chain her to you."

Alice darted over to give an awkward hug with so many dresses on her arm and Rosalie being bent over a car. Then, hand on the door, ready to leave Rosalie to the peace she'd disrupted, she paused and halfway turned around. "Do you think I should do a shirt and skirt combo instead?"

"Get the hell out."

* * *

 **A/N:** Updates are whenever and I'm halfway done with chapter four already and now I'm going to go work on finishing Black Star's 24th chapter.

Hope you liked it, see ya later.


	2. It Is Absolutely A Date

**A/N:** So I know it's not actually a date, but Bella is Alice's mate and Alice is Bella's imprint so they're literally stupid about each other and trying not to be and dude, let me tell you. They are a _mess_. Like I'm writing chapter five and wow, dude. They slipped and just fell facefirst, I swear.

And don't worry yourself, answers will come.

* * *

Rosalie yelling "Bye, babe" at Bella before driving off had Alice smothering a growl. But then Bella smiled down at her and she couldn't help smiling back. The dress had definitely been a good choice, not too much or too little, especially with Bella's relaxed attire. But it _was_ nicer than usual. No tears in her jeans, and she wore a blue button-up under her jacket that was, of course, untucked.

"Are you psychic or something?" Bella gestured from her shirt to Alice's dress and back.

Alice giggled and spun once. "Pure coincidence that we're matching! I was favoring a yellow one but Rose accused me of trying to replace the sun."

Bella snorted at Alice's pout. "Well it _is_ bright."

"Yellow is a wonderful color! It's my favorite."

"Oh god, you're going to light up my life. This is the brightest piece of clothing I have."

"Clearly, I need to take you shopping."

Groaning, Bella jerked her head for them to go inside the theater, and, Alice noticed, did not say no. She swung the door open for Alice and missed the small look of surprise because she was squinting at the sky. "It's going to rain soon."

"Sounds like Forks. So what are we watching?" Alice stopped a fair distance from the counter as Bella came beside her, hands in her jacket pockets.

"No clue," Bella mumbled looking at the movies and times. "And I noticed. I miss the sun. Nothing like it beating down on you. My tan slips farther away with each day."

Alice sucked in a sharp breath at the realization that if Bella did return her feelings, she'd be damning her to a life without something she loved.

"Is that why you guys are here?"

She blinked up at the green eyes on her. "Yes."

Bella hummed, looking back to the list of movies. "What are you in the mood for?"

"Whatever," she said honestly. "Is that why you wear jackets? To feel more heat? Because you certainly don't need them."

Something she'd said was apparently funny because Bella gave a small bark of laughter before glancing at Alice. "To blend in. I see we play fast and loose here, though."

Alice looked down at herself and eventually realized she should've added a jacket to her outfit. "Oops."

"Oops? You are something else, Alice Cullen," Bella chuckled. "Okay, so," she pointed unnecessarily, "how about—" She stopped, jaw clenching.

A loud group of girls had come in and started joking and giggling about them and Alice had resolved to ignore them but as they got closer, it seemed Bella started to vibrate.

"God, do you think they're together?"

"That'd be so perfect! Two weirdos being weird, hopefully far away. But obviously that's too much to hope for since they're here."

And it quickly gave way to shaking. Even as Alice opened her mouth, Bella rounded on them, shouldering into the one who'd intended to walk over her. "Problem, bitch? Talking a lot of shit there for someone who looks like God used roadkill to make their face."

Alice grabbed shaking shoulders and forcibly turned Bella back to her. The sharpness of those green eyes had her choke on whatever she'd considered saying, so she just stared up at her. And Bella stared back. Jaw clenching and unclenching far too loudly to vampire ears. She didn't have visions to help her find the right words, and she had no experience calming an angry shifter, and she didn't really _know_ Bella.

"Why are your eyes gold instead of red?" Bella asked through her teeth.

The vampire blinked. Another spike of fear and concern went through her. "Why have you seen a red-eyed vampire?" When Bella's entire body twitched, Alice squeezed her shoulders and backtracked, talking too fast for a human conversation. "Hunting animals instead gives us gold eyes."

Bella closed her eyes. Held her breath. The shaking started to subside after a few strong heartbeats. Before Alice could say something else, green eyes cracked open and Bella winked. "So you take your steak rare, I see."

"Wha—" She stared at the mystery of Bella Swan.

"Come on, I got an idea." Bella patted her hands and walked out of her grip to the counter.

"Hey, so what'll it be?" the employee asked, already hitting at the keyboard next to them.

"Surprise us."

And then to double the surprise Alice felt, Bella held out her card and patiently waited for the guy to pick something and process their transaction. Bella paid when it should've been her instead. Bella clearly didn't care what they watched as long as it was with her. Well, maybe that was reaching. Either way, Bella Swan was a walking surprise through and through and the thought positively _thrilled_ Alice.

She looked up when she felt Bella bump her shoulder.

"Ready?"

Still a little in her thoughts, Alice just nodded.

"Cool. Lemme just get a drink and we can go in." Bella waved her large, empty cup for emphasis on the way to the soda fountain and turned so abruptly Alice almost walked into her. She cocked her head as if a serious question weighed on her. "Or do you prefer to wander until the previews are done?"

An awkward smile came to Alice's face and she shrugged as she looked away. Rocking on her feet, she whispered on account of some people near them. "I don't know. I haven't been to a movie theater since The Wizard of Oz came out."

Bella stared at her in a way that made Alice sure if you looked up "gobsmacked," you'd find her picture. Soon enough, she started to work again, blinking and at last shutting her mouth. She went to fill her cup with Pepsi and wordlessly got her lid and straw.

The silence began to wear on Alice and fill her with anxiety. She swallowed. Failed at catching green eyes. "Bella?"

"I just." She broke the lid trying to put it on and got another one. "That was. When was that?"

"1939."

"What the fuck, why do you want to be my friend?"

Alice blinked. "What?"

Thankfully, Bella was oblivious to the way her friend stopped breathing when she leaned down into her space, gold eyes trapped by green. "You must've done and seen so much and you want to be _my_ friend?" Bella straightened and jerked her head before she started walking again, taking a sip of her drink as she glanced at their tickets again before putting them in her pocket. "That's crazy. Let me save you the trouble and tell you there's nothing special about me. So why'd you stop going to see movies?"

The fact Bella moved so quickly through topics and she actually had to bite her tongue to keep from listing everything special and wonderful about Bella left her more than a little distressed. So she found herself moving without thought, or perhaps on instinct, whether to comfort herself or Bella, she didn't know. But she did hook her arm through Bella's left one. And before she could even settle her hand on Bella's arm, she felt the shifter stiffen, so her hands blurred away. Alice winced. Both for moving too fast and for causing that reaction. It didn't help that her mind ran rampant. Did Bella worry it'd make them look like they were together? Did Bella just not really want to be touched by her? Did—

"Sorry. I'm sorry." Bella sighed, her pace a little slower as they turned into a different hallway, farther away from the bright lights of the lobby. "The only touchy-feely person I had anything to do with was my," Bella swallowed and if Alice wasn't looking at her, she would've missed the quick tensing of her jaw, "My mother. Even then she's more spiritual than feely and her touchy was thankfully limited. My best frie—er, my old friends—are, uhm, _were_ more the type to punch than hug."

Even though her heart sagged in her chest, Alice felt torn on asking if she was okay or not.

And then Bella proved her habit of emotional rebounds and stuck out her arm a little further, hand still firmly in her pocket, and winked at Alice. "You're good. I'm guessing that's how you're overwhelming? Anyway, I'll let you know if something bothers me, but I don't want you worrying about it. Just be you."

Slower, Alice looped her arm through Bella's again and rested her other hand just above her elbow. No signs of distress this time. The distance between them made walking a little awkward, but Bella didn't seem bothered and Alice didn't want to push her. But Bella had just requested she be herself. So she did. She pressed closer—not as much as she wanted to—and was surprised by Bella adjusting for her stride to fit hers in less than three steps.

"You are _so_ small," Bella laughed.

"I am regularly sized! 5'4" is a good height! It's not my fault the people I bless with my presence are taller than me." Mirth glittered in green eyes and Alice felt the pout slide off her face. "What are you, 5'10" or so?"

"Exactly, actually."

Alice hummed and had to let go of Bella's arm so she could hand their tickets to the attendant to enter this wing of the theater. Gold eyes caught sight of the movie title, but it didn't mean anything to her. What Lies Below. That could've been anything.

"Enjoy."

Bella nodded at him and they were walking again, but, much to Alice's disappointment, she seemed fine without Alice reattaching to her. Really though, they'd only started talking today. Did she actually expect Bella to be as needy as her? She shook her head. "I haven't gone back to a theater because I'd rack up so much spending, wanting to see every movie when I already feel like I've seen it before going in."

"What? How?"

"Because I am," Alice giggled, bouncing to bump into Bella, who just stared at her, trying to follow the conversation. "Psychic."

Bella came to a full stop. "Bullshit."

"No, it's true. Look. He's going to trip on air and his girlfriend won't even look back."

Green eyes looked at the pair Alice pointed out and, sure enough, the dude faceplanted and the blonde didn't blink at his tumble. She just said, "Come on, Dave. I'll buy you some ice cream."

Bella stared at them so hard that Dave looked doubly embarrassed and hurried after his girlfriend. When Alice giggled, she snapped out of it and gaped at her. "Seriously? I. Wow. So then why do you look so surprised sometimes?"

Alice nudged her into walking again. "Because you cause a hole in my visions, like you aren't there. So you've surprised me more than I have been in decades."

"That's why you want to be my friend," Bella said quietly.

"No! Well. It's more than that. I just. I like you. I do." Tongue between her teeth, she looked up at Bella and hoped her words would be taken at full value before she spilled her heart onto the floor. Before she asked aloud how eyes could be so impossibly deep and bright and dark at once. Before she asked if this magnetic pull was one-sided.

"Well, let's be surprised together." Bella winked, holding open the door and causing previews to blare out at them.

Alice bounced in.

Over the next hour and a half, Alice not only learned more about Bella, but considered going to the movies again. It had taken ten minutes after the previews for Bella to finally touch the armrest between them and lean close to ask if Alice wanted to leave because the movie clearly sucked. It did. But Alice's crack at the bad acting turned into them judging the whole movie together. And Bella was _hilarious_.

As they exited the building, Alice turned her face up at the dark sky and the clouds that had given up pouring in favor of drizzling. Something warm settled over her shoulders, making her forget to blink. She reached up and felt it. Yes, Bella's jacket was draped over her. Slowly, unsure what to say, she looked at Bella quizzically. Her button-up had long sleeves, apparently. Of course. Sleeves, sleeves, sleeves. Always long sleeves.

Bella rubbed the back of her neck, bouncing her keys in her hands. "It's even colder than earlier."

"I'm a vampire. We _are_ cold."

"Your dress?"

She sounded strained, awkward, and the idea was reinforced by how her eyes avoided Alice. It was so impossibly endearing that Alice wasn't trying to discern her motives for once. "Thank you."

"Yeah, well, let's get you home since Rosalie's refusing to pick you up."

Whether it was Bella's natural body heat or the fact Alice looked like she desperately needed a jacket because of her stature and attire, the vampire managed to keep possession of Bella's jacket for the weekend.

* * *

 **A/N:** To address reviews, honestly I don't know if we'll die from cuteness or what but I am dying. My ghost is going to be writing this soon. Get it? Ghostwriting? Anyway, fuck yeah shifter Bella (thank you guest, I literally agree with everything) and fuck yeah Rosalie. And they will totally be BFFs. Esme's going to have a fucking stroke seeing Rosalie be so relaxed with someone so fast lmao but so proud and happy that her Rose is friends with someone.

Honestly how is Alice so cute


	3. Slipping

**A/N:** Updating two stories at three am. Nice. I like how we're kind of coming to know Bella as Alice does, but we are going to start kind of centering on Bella as of this chapter.

Oh and Edward is not a shithead in this story, I forgot to mention.

* * *

A couple weeks later, Alice pulled into the Swan driveway with pretense gifted to her by Esme. Her eyebrow quirked as she turned off the car and heard the distinct sound of Bella yelling "no." She hefted the lasagna and got out, making her way around the house.

The police chief of Forks was glaring up at the back of his house with his hands on his hips. "Isabella Marie Swan, if you don't get down, I'll—" he huffed, "I don't know! This is ridic—Oh. Hello?"

Alice shifted the lasagna to her left arm to give a little wave and shake his hand once she got closer. "Hello, I'm Alice Cullen. Esme sent me to drop this off because she cooked too much."

"Oh, uhm. That's..." He didn't continue, he just rubbed the back of his neck, and Alice guessed Bella took after him the most.

Scuffling from above saved him from his awkwardness as Bella suddenly skidded down part of the roof to stop near the edge and peer down at them. "Alice! Alice with food? Even better."

Her smile made her eyes crinkle. "So you only love me if I have food?" Alarm rang through her at claiming Bella loved her but she managed to keep it off her face.

"Nah, it's your bright personality that makes me shield my eyes."

"Oh!" Charlie snapped his fingers and pointed at the small vampire next to him. "You're Ali."

The fact Bella not only talked about her but had given her a nickname had Alice turning too fast to cock her head at Bella. Bella, who looked like a deer in headlights.

Charlie relieved her of the lasagna. "Tell your mom thanks, for me. It's nice to finally meet you, but maybe you can help. Because _someone_ is being a _child_!" He glared up at his daughter.

"Just go without me!"

"I have," Charlie yelled back and Alice felt increasingly like she was in an episode of the Twilight Zone. "You can't keep avoiding them! They're practically family. You guys need to stop acting like five year olds and talk to each other so you can move past whatever happened!"

There was a minuscule twitch on Bella's face, and her voice got rougher. "I told you it wasn't my fault!"

"So be the bigger man and fix it anyway! Person! Whatever!" Charlie huffed and turned to Alice. "If you've been friends with someone your whole life, shouldn't you at least _try_ to work through a problem with them?"

"I…"

"I _did_. They had a problem and then they gave me one and now we hate each other or something and I don't want to fucking deal with it today, Charlie!" Her shoulders sagged. "Please."

Charlie sighed and his shoulders sagged a lot like Bella's, the fight oozing out of him as he stared up at his daughter, standing on the roof of their home. "Fine, kiddo. Just—" He stopped. "Uh, I'll put this away and grab the ladder."

Bella waved a hand. "Nah, she knows, don't worry about it."

He looked like he'd been slapped, head whipping between them. "You just go telling people?!"

Bella crossed her arms with a scoff. "Alice isn't people."

"Right. How could I forget?" He winked at Alice as he started to leave. "Good luck with her, _Ali_."

"Charlie!" Bella made a frustrated noise and fell back against the roof.

Giggling, Alice jumped up to the roof, her amusement doubling at Bella's squeak of surprise. She threw herself down beside her friend. "Isabella Marie Swan, why didn't you tell me I had a nickname? My life is a lie."

The wind kicked up for a minute and tossed Bella's hair around. She puffed. "Don't you 'Isabella Marie Swan' me, pipsqueak."

"I am regularly sized!" Despite her tone, she rolled onto her side and watched Bella shove her hair from her face and tuck her arms under her head. Green eyes reflected the clouds over Forks and Alice wondered how the moon looked in them.

"What are you thinking about?"

"Uhm," Alice, a psychic vampire of a hundred years, said.

"What a thought-provoking subject." Bella chuckled and sighed, her ease leaving her in that breath.

Alice reached out and fidgeted with a loose string on on her friend's long-sleeved shirt. Softly, with only half the concern she wanted to express, she asked, "Are you okay?"

She froze at the dam breaking apart before her eyes. Bella's usually relaxed face twisted and her arms jerked from under her head so she could cover her face, muffling the sob that shook her chest. Any resolve or reservation Alice had did not exist anymore. She scooted over, pulling Bella into her side and losing her fingers in dark hair as she held her. The sobs just got worse, the noise daggers in Alice's chest. She held Bella tighter. Again she found herself damning her flawed visions.

"Everything fell apart so _fast_. So fu-ucking fast!" Bella's sobs shook them both and she choked on her tears. "I've been trying to be fine and I can't, Alice. I can't. I don't know how. I just want to be fine. I don't know what I did to deserve this. _I just want to be fine_ ," she cut off in a small, agonized scream and actually curled her body toward Alice's smaller one.

She blinked through the haze of tears that could not and would not fall, fitting for the falling sensation of sheer pain in her heart. Cold lips dropped small kisses across Bella's fingers digging into her own face and on the side of her head as she hushed Bella. She sighed as her mate just cried harder, as if she'd never been allowed to do it before, and wondered if Bella _had_ cried about it. Whatever it was. Alice bent down, resting her head against Bella's, whispering into her ear. "You are fine. I won't let you be anything else," she promised. Too open, too honest, but she couldn't stop. "You're fine. You're just a mess, but I'm a mess too, so that's okay, Bells."

A weak laugh mingled with Bella's sadness. "We can be a mess together?"

"Always." Alice moved her hand so that she held the back of Bella's neck and brushed her thumb in and out of her hair. She sighed, feeling both damned and content in this moment. As the minutes passed, Bella's sobs stopped and faded to sniffles and shallow breaths, but she never uncovered her face and Alice never let go.

"When I got here," Bella whispered into her hands, "I went down to the Reservation to see my two best friends and they acted so weird. Then this guy comes, angry, shaking, and I realize what it is. I realize why they're both so much taller and Jake's ripped and Leah's toned when she never worked out a day in her life. They were the same as me."

Alice stiffened, fingers freezing in brown hair.

"Then Sam," she spat his name, sniffling, "is yelling at me to get out. Yelling, yelling, yelling. Jake and Leah can't talk to me anymore. _No outsiders on this land_. I lose it because I practically lived on the Rez half my life and after...what happened. He turns into a fucking wolf, bigger than me, and then Jake and Leah are baring their teeth at me and suddenly I'm being chased off the Rez and through the woods. Sam blindsides me and there's teeth and nails and just so much fucking pain and Leah crashes into us both and I fall into a river bank. I don't know why they left me alone, but they did and I dragged myself home and just sat in the bathtub until the bleeding stopped. And if I tell Charlie, he'll go fucking shoot them, wolf or not."

Alice swallowed once, twice, three times. She opened her mouth, but instead of saying something, she growled.

It made Bella pull out of the cocoon of Alice's embrace with raised eyebrows. Her tearstained face only showed concern when she should've been wrapped up in herself.

And Alice found herself softening, reaching out. She cupped Bella's cheek in her hand, thumb brushing across a trail of tears. This was dangerous. She was far, far too exposed, her emotions too close to the surface. But Bella was so warm, so alive—making Alice feel that way without effort. And her eyes were too beautiful and too deep. So much so that Alice treasured the fact she wasn't human so she wouldn't lose that eye color just to stay with her. "Shifters," she finally whispered.

Bella's brow furrowed, but she didn't move away or break eye contact. "What?"

"They're shapeshifters, like you. Quileute wolves. It's genetic. The gene can trigger for carriers in response to vampires." Something dark slammed down walls in Bella's eyes and as her jaw clenched, Alice couldn't help herself. "That's how you know what a vampire is, isn't it? The red-eyed one? Were—Were you hurt?"

Green eyes slid closed for a moment, just long enough for Bella to take a deep breath. Then she leaned away from Alice and dragged her sleeve across her face. "Don't worry about it, Alice."

She pursed her lips to keep from pressing. What she couldn't refrain from was scooting to remove the space Bella had created. Alice nearly sighed at the warmth of Bella against her side again. She was too far gone, too addicted. Her fingers splayed across Bella's ribs and she could _feel_ how alive Bella was. Definitely too far gone. Definitely too in need of intimacy. She swallowed, her gaze jumping away from Bella's face as green eyes turned to her again. "You crossed the border. It's why they left you alone."

"Border?"

She nodded, eyes still averted. She'd stopped breathing for fear that moving at all would lead to her attempting to be even closer to Bella. "Carlisle established a treaty with them decades ago. As long as we don't hunt humans or change one, they don't bother us or come on our land and we don't go on theirs. I thought it was exceedingly kind before, considering it usually takes at least a pair of wolves to bring down a single vampire, but _now_ I," she ground her teeth, and she looked at Bella so suddenly the shifter flinched. "Do you want me to break it for you?"

"What? No."

"I'd kill them. I would. God, I'm so stupid. Emmett smelled old blood and a new shifter in June by a river and we didn't think it would've been _your_ blood. But of course. Sam's a child pretending at being a leader and a man. You probably scared him—"

Bella pressed a finger to cold lips. "Alice. It's okay."

She bit her tongue to keep from kissing Bella's finger. That's all she did these days. Refrain from things, keep herself from things. From Bella.

"You know more about me than I do," Bella joked, weakly at that.

"Carlisle knows more than I do and you can certainly ask him whatever you wanted."

With a hum, Bella flopped back down, Alice's fingers slipping off her. She released a sigh. Clouds reflected in her eyes. "I don't think I want to. I turn into a big wolf. My would-be best friends turn into wolves and are under orders to not see me and do nothing but argue with me through text. My temperature's high, I don't get sick, my body's more resilient. Bullets hurt but aren't fatal and I can't even thank my father for all of it. Amazing. Don't think I _want_ to know more."

"What did you just say?"

"I don't want to know more?"

Alice took Bella's chin in her fingers and turned her head so their eyes would meet. "Bella, were you _shot_?"

"Oh."

" _Bella_?" She sounded shrill, even to herself.

"It's...why I left Phoenix. I don't want to talk about it, Alice. I really don't."

Her eyes were too soft, too caring, she knew it. She knew it like she knew her fingers brushing up Bella's face until she cupped her cheek again was _dangerous_. It was _too much_. But god, she was drowning and Bella wasn't saying no. "You can be immortal like me." Damn, she hadn't meant to say that last part.

But Bella didn't comment on her slip up. She never did. She just drew her eyebrows together in silent question.

Alice swallowed and her gaze bounced to and from Bella. "You can choose to stop shifting. But for as long as you do shift, you won't age or grow weak."

"What fun. I could potentially never get my life together. An eternal mess." Bella stared up at the clouds as Alice stared at her. "Do you wish you weren't immortal?"

"Well, if I wasn't, I never would've met you." Alice almost threw herself off the roof. Before green eyes could study her, she charged on. "I never would've heard such good music. Found new things to draw. Never would've seen Africa or Italy or London. And there are _so_ many more things I need to buy. And so much more. I can't imagine being mortal. I know a drawback is people I know dying if I ever get to know them long enough, but even if we didn't move too much for that to be a problem, I've never made a friend that wasn't a vampire. And they aren't close. Well, not the ones outside the family, obviously."

"You are incredibly interesting, Alice Cullen."

Gold eyes met green rather seriously. "As are you, Bella Swan."

"So why so little friends?"

Alice's gaze dropped. She picked lint off her shirt. "I make people uncomfortable."

"You don't make me uncomfortable." She said it firmly, her eyes endless in her sincerity.

But Alice couldn't look back for more than a second because drowning in Bella Swan was easy for her. A sad smile pulled at her lips. "Clearly, you are insane."

"Whatever, pipsqueak."

The retort on Alice's tongue died as, for the first time, Bella reached out to her. Initiated. Lying on a roof, like it was the most natural thing in the world, Bella ran her hand through Alice's chaotic hair just once. She seemed painfully oblivious to the vampire being frozen.

"Damn, dude. Your hair is softer than I thought."

"Thank you." Now, if she just hadn't said it like a strangled question.

"Not like, I thought your hair was rough or anything. I always thought it looked soft but it's actually unbelievably soft! Like. I." Bella slapped a hand to her face. "See, this is why no one talks to me."

"People talk to you, you just don't talk back."

"Yeah, well, I'd rather be alone than have trivial friendships. I hate that shit. One week you're someone's favorite person and a few months later you don't even talk. People give and take too easily and, I don't know, I don't like it."

"You must hate how giving I am, then."

Bella glanced at her sideways. "You give without taking."

If only Bella knew how wrong she was. Their proximity alone was a display of how much Alice took.

"You're 'overwhelming' and burn pretty brightly, so I'm expecting the casual moving on, but I think you're worth missing."

"I won't get bored of you," Alice admitted softly.

Bella didn't say anything. She just watched a band of clouds move.

* * *

Chin resting on her palms, Alice stared at the door of her history class. She'd given up on trying not to bounce as she waited. Then again, she'd kind of given up in general. Not completely, but enough that it was concerning because she couldn't help herself.

A little later than usual, but still notably early, Bella Swan walked in. And her gait slowed at the sight of Alice. Almost as if against her will, a curious smile pulled at the corner of her mouth while Alice just grinned. Bella dropped her backpack as she threw herself into the chair next to Alice. "Did you really just evict my table-mate?"

"Did you really sit next to someone for three months without learning their name?" She giggled when Bella grumbled and looked away. "If you want, I'll go." The sheer delight at Bella's panicked expression completely made it into Alice's smile.

During the class, Alice confirmed her suspicions about Bella doodling more than she took notes. And she really did just carelessly get ink everywhere. It was so extensive that Alice wasn't even sure how a black slash of ink got on her own notes. The theory that Bella Swan didn't own a single pencil had been reinforced dramatically.

* * *

Alice held her books to her chest as they left the class, the hard covers creaking in her grip. She'd been like this the past few days. Unsettled. Distant and pretending she wasn't. Bella had a few guesses about the cause, but she could've been utterly wrong. Alice Cullen had proved to be jarring thus far. Just when Bella started to adjust, Alice either kicked up or retreated. She'd done everything she could to keep the vampire from thinking she was being overwhelming. But that clearly wasn't enough. Bella stepped faster, moving in front of Alice to pave the way through the students gathering their things from lockers and milling around before leaving.

"You okay, pipsqueak?"

"Yes!"

There it was again. That off, distracted response. It had Bella sighing internally. "So how's your Halloween planning going?"

"Horrific," Alice met green eyes with a small pout as Bella held the door for her. She descended the stairs to the parking lot with a sigh too heavy for her small shoulders. "No one wants a party or to go trick or treating. They won't say it but I can tell. I guess four years in a row was too much."

Words left Bella's mouth before she could think about potential regret. "I've never been trick or treating."

And then the endless energy of Alice Cullen she was growing used to beamed up at Bella as she literally skipped once in her joy. Straight into Bella's side, no less. "We can go together! Oh! We can coordinate costumes, maybe." Before Bella could smile or say something, the light in Alice's eyes dimmed and her textbooks creaked again. "If you want, of course. You probably think it's childish. I'm sure I don't sound my age."

"Bella!"

Syllable dying in her throat, she looked away to see Angela waving her over to her and Jessica and Mike and a few others at Tyler's van. She turned back just in time to see the flicker of disappointment on Alice's face and swallowed back a frustrated growl. She jerked her head for Alice to walk over with her as she turned. "I wouldn't begin to know what to dress up as."

"We can brainstorm possibilities." She was what Bella had learned to interpret as hopeful, and her steps were slower as they got closer to the humans.

"Absolutely, pipsqueak." She nodded her head in response to Angela's smile.

"Hi, Alice."

A small, genuine smile came to Alice's lips even if she stood a little close to Bella's right side. "Hello, Angela."

Most of the other teens offered a weak chorus of hellos.

Angela adjusted her glasses with a warm smile like Bella actually talked with her outside of infrequent conversations and English class. "You forgot, didn't you?"

"Uh." Bella felt like she was sweating even though it'd be physically impossible at the moment.

"We're supposed to rehearse our lines for the little play in class tomorrow," Angela said patiently, sharing a look with Alice at their friend's expense.

"Shit, that's tomorrow?! What's today?"

"Wednesday," Alice chirped.

Mike laughed, if a little awkwardly. "Bella, you'd forget your own name."

"I _have_ forgotten my own name!"

Alice sighed next to her, but the noise had a small smile to go along with it.

"So now or later?"

"Now, I guess. I have to cook dinner so later isn't much of an option." She looked down at Alice. "Let me know if you come up with a good idea first?"

"Will do!" Instead of going toward the Cullen parking spots as Bella started to walk away, Alice asked, "Forgetting something?"

An eyebrow arched while Bella ran through her memory and watched her friend bounce back and forth on her feet, expectant. "Uhm, yeah." She couldn't think of anything except her theory on Alice's mood swings. So, committing to her logic, Bella stepped close to an increasingly confused-looking Alice—which should've been her first clue—and bent a little to brush back some of Alice's hair and kiss her hairline. "Bye."

The vampire's voice came out strained by the time Bella was again turning to leave. "I stole your pen."

Green eyes stared at the item Alice produced from between her textbooks. Her hand tapped her left pocket and, sure enough, she had a sharpie, but no pen. She couldn't look away from it thanks to all the eyes on her, including Alice's. "I...I thought. I thought you meant me not, like, returning your affection enough. Not. I." Her heart beat in her ears and she took her pen calmly as opposed to snatching it and running like the heat in her cheeks wanted. "Thanks. Bye."

If she'd looked over her shoulder for even a second before driving off, she would've noticed the blatant grins on Rosalie and Jasper's faces and the way Alice didn't stop looking at her.

* * *

 **A/N:** Did you catch the nod to a Bella and Alice moment in xPaigeturnerx's Aconitum story? Well, that's assuming you've read it. Anyway.

I like how I have this marked as a Romance/Humor story but Bella's been shot and mauled and attacked by a vampire lmao who let me in this genre

See you guys soon with another chapter of this gay mess.


	4. Falling

**A/N:** In which Alice almost has a stroke.

* * *

For some reason, Bella couldn't get one of her classmates to leave her alone. The girl just kept talking and talking, having come up as soon as Pre-Calculus ended and following through the halls while Bella desperately tried to remember her name. Bella's infrequent Mhms and Ohs made things worse by causing the girl to talk faster. At this point, Bella stopped next to the stairs by the main hall and feared if she went into the cafeteria, this girl would follow her all the way to her table.

"So do you have any plans this weekend?"

Arguing with old friends through texts about supernatural issues probably didn't count. "Nah, I'm pretty boring. And you?" Completely mystifying to Bella, the girl laughed.

"I've been bored lately. Looking not to be, though. You know?"

"Uh, sure."

"Sooo do-"

Bella didn't have to look to see why the girl stopped because she _felt_ Alice. And she felt different. If Bella was crazy, and she'd started to think so lately, she'd say Alice felt possessive. One moment she was figuring out how to flee the conversation she'd only just realized the intent behind and the next Alice was attached to her arm like she had been at the movie theater weeks ago. And instead of responding to anything that just happened like a sane person, Bella furrowed her brow at a thought.

Alice was significantly less touchy in public.

"Uhm. So do you have any ideas about killing boredom this weekend?" She swallowed, resolutely pretending Alice wasn't there.

Except Alice was very much there and her laugh created a surge of warmth in Bella's chest. "This weekend? I'm thinking her solution is me."

No, Alice wasn't being possessive. She was trying to save her from this disaster she'd literally walked into.

"Funny, she said she didn't have plans."

"Bella's forgetful." She patted her arm for emphasis, smile still on her face.

She was, but her heart was also starting to react to Alice because, goddamn, she _seemed_ possessive. But then again, Bella had fucked up and fell face-first for her friend who could hear her heartbeat. So, to cover, even though she was genuinely growing anxious at the situation, she committed a horrific social blunder. "Hey, uhm, what's your name?"

The girl's mouth opened and closed a few times before she walked away, muttering, "Jules."

Alice didn't waste a moment as she took them into the cafeteria, talking about their so far fruitless endeavor of figuring out what to dress up as for Halloween. She didn't let go the whole time. Not even when they got to the long line for food. Bella, against her will, found herself wondering if Alice would hold her hand or something if she ever freed her hands from the prison of her jacket pockets. Girls were already difficult for Bella to read sometimes, but touchy-feely ones were impossible.

And Alice? Utterly uncharted territory.

 _What boundaries? There are no boundaries_ , Bella thought even as she considered pulling her hands from her pockets. She swallowed and mentally played one of her favorite songs to focus on and calm herself.

"Wanna just catch a horror movie instead? We could prep for next year better."

Alice's eyes crinkled adorably with her smile. "A horrible one that we judge the whole time and you threaten to shove someone's entire bag of popcorn into their eye for shushing us?"

Green eyes rolled as she bit back a smile. "Exactly that." But then she frowned. "Hey, Alice?"

She looked away from the food options and back to Bella with a hum.

"You don't think I worry what people will think because of you, do you?"

Alice's trademark Deer In Headlights reaction was ample answer as her lips parted and her eyes roamed, her mind working on how to steer the conversation in a way she wanted.

"If someone's ashamed of you, they don't deserve you, Alice."

Later that day, when they were leaving History, Bella kept her hands out her pockets.

Alice held her wrist as they walked.

* * *

"So, Tink. When you gonna bring my new buddy home?"

"Never." Edward ruffled her hair with an idle smile. "Selfish, aren't you, little freak?"

"Well she's failing because Bella's friends with me." Rosalie shrugged a shoulder. "Tolerates Edward, I guess."

"I'll have you know we have excellent conversations in class!"

"Is it really an excellent conversation if you're mostly just asking her questions?"

"Wait till I get my hands on her." Emmett added emphasis to the mischief on his face by rubbing his hands together.

Jasper snorted. "You mean Esme? We'll never see her again. Bella will be the first shifter in history to die of overeating."

Before Alice could respond to any of those things, she froze because of Angela's soft voice.

"Uhm, Bella, do you know that guy staring over here? By your truck?"

A majority of gold eyes were on the tall Quileute that rested his hand on the side of Bella's truck, downwind of them. While Rosalie sent a glare at Edward, Alice's eyes bounced between him and Bella. Everything of Bella had shifted when she saw him. Her heart was wild. She left the humans without a word and pushed past students to get to him, their gazes never leaving the other. He took slow, measured steps to the back of the truck and stayed there, but his weight rested on his front foot as if he wanted to take more.

Alice didn't realize she was trying to walk until she felt Jasper's hand dig into her shoulder. She mumbled her thanks. Ignored how her siblings pressed closer, ready to grab her.

"Jake." Hard. Tentative. Hopeful.

He grinned and laughed even though he sounded pained. "Bella."

Before Bella fully got to him, he swept her up in a hug and just held her to him while she sighed, her shoulders relaxing. Then she wiggled. "Put me down. What happened with Sam? Is Leah-"

"Why do you smell so much like leeches?" He glared across the emptying lot at them. Rosalie hissed as he dropped Bella, staring down at her. "I told you to stay away from them!"

Any happiness Bella had felt at seeing him appeared entirely gone as her jaw tightened and she shifted her weight onto her back foot. "Yeah, well, even if you _didn't_ put your teeth in my shoulder, you don't get to tell me what to do."

"They are dangerous, Bella. You shouldn't go fuck around with them just because I'm not around! How stupid-"

"Calm down and stop fucking shaking, dude."

" _Calm down_?" His nostrils flared as he threw one of his hands in the air, but then he froze. He took another deep breath and his expression twisted further. "Why do you fucking _reek_ of one of them?"

"Why the fuck do you think I'm hanging around people to spite you?"

"Leeches aren't people!"

A ripple went through Bella as she hissed, "Stop calling them that."

"That one stinks _all over you_. Which one is it?" His glare swept over them, lingering on Edward's scowl. Jacob whipped his head back to Bella. "Is it the leech with sex hair?"

"Stop. Calling them. Leeches."

"It's what they do, Bella! They're killers."

"You know very well they don't hunt people."

"They're monsters. They are literally made to kill people."

Bella threw her hands up. "People kill people all the time!"

His hands dragged across his face. He took deep breaths. Still, his shaking didn't ease up. "Why are you defending them?"

"Why are you attacking them?"

The metal of the truck gave a faint squeal under his fist. "I struggled. Faced physical pain to disobey Sam's orders to come see you. They're dead. I'm alive. Here, in front of you. Me. Jake. Your best friend. Bella, I _love_ you. They don't know you."

Jasper's fingers painfully digging into Alice's shoulder was the only thing keeping her growl in her chest.

"I love you too, Jake." His shoulders sagged with hers, letting go of the fight as she did. "And you do know me. That's the sad part. Leave me alone."

"Seriously? You're choosing some bloodsucker over me?" Jacob caught her arm and pulled as she walked past him.

Which was a mistake because she used that to make her right hook hurt even more.

He held his bloody nose, eyes narrowing at Alice for her growl instead of looking at Bella. "So it's the midget one over me. "

Bella threw a helmet to him from the motorcycle he had next to her truck. "If you want to make it you versus them, fine. I choose the people who didn't attack me."

"That wasn't me, Bella! Don't you understand? No, you can't, because you're not in a pack and you won't listen to me. You don't know what it's like."

"I just don't care anymore." She sounded so defeated it quelled the anger and hate in Alice just to let sadness sweep in.

Jacob's mouth moved stupidly, desperately. Then he stooped, grabbing a second helmet. "I brought both." His voice was so rough, so close to tears it managed to make Bella pause in walking to the cab of her truck, but she didn't turn around. "I. You _know_ how the anger is, Bella. I didn't mean for this. Bella, I brought both helmets like I promised. I didn't forget. You called me June 14th at four am and told me what happened with your mom and _I_ promised you we'd go for a ride and you wouldn't have to worry about anything. _I'm_ here right now."

Bella had her eyes closed and her hand pressed to her mouth and Alice suddenly felt out of place. They'd stayed to make sure Bella was okay, but this was also private. But it wasn't anywhere near as private as Bella's pain and Alice both felt she should be alone with Bella and that Bella should be alone with herself.

Then she processed Jasper's slack grip and followed his gaze to Edward's face. She could only see the side of it from here as he stared at the pair across the lot, but she knew him. She read his distress in the pinching near his eye and the weird curve to his lips. "What?"

"I…" He shook his head as Jacob pleaded with Bella's name again. "That is not something I can tell you and I wish with every ounce of my being I didn't find out this way."

"Damn, Eddie. That bad?"

Rosalie smacked the back of Emmett's head and gave him a look. He had the decency to cringe, seeing the distraught expression on Alice's face.

Bella, hands on the helmet offered to her, gently pushed it to Jacob's chest. She got in her truck and left without looking at him or the vampires.

* * *

Not getting a text back from Bella all afternoon and evening had left Alice more unsettled than she thought possible. She understood, of course. But that didn't mean she hadn't wanted to follow Bella home and make sure she was alright.

Edward had spent the rest of the day with his piano, filling the house with notes swinging between desperate and angry to hopeless to light and back.

Jasper had went out to be by himself.

Frankly, she was surprised it took until after midnight for Rosalie to kick her out the house because of her "dragging dread" everywhere. The fresh air had helped, as had running mindlessly. But after however long, she'd finally come to a stop and scaled halfway up this tree, sitting on a wide branch and gazing at the stars across the dark expanse above her. Thoughts drifted away with each breath. It was just her and the night sky.

"Boo!"

The vampire lurched to the side with a small squeak, mind scrambling as she fought her fight or flight response and decided on which branch she should grab onto and how to twist her body to achieve it or if she should just fall to the ground.

But, instead, a strong arm went around her and she found herself plucked out the air and into the lap of Bella Swan as she crouched in a tree. Her left hand held onto the branch above them to steady herself and her right arm stayed around Alice.

"Shit, Alice. Are you okay? I thought you were humoring me, I didn't think I could actually sneak up on you."

Alice swallowed, lost in those green eyes, glittering in the moonlight just like she'd thought about on more than one night. Her lips parted. She didn't say anything and she didn't look down to confirm that this was very real and not some type of wish-fulfillment delusion. She'd braced herself during the change of momentum and now? Now she could feel Bella's pulse tapping against her finger. Directly. Warm, soft skin under her hands damned her to not moving just to keep from touching more of Bella. "You're shirtless," she tried to say, but to her ears it just sounded like a strangled noise mixed with a soft purr.

Bella's brow furrowed at the noise, then her eyebrows shot up. "Oh, fuck. Did I interrupt you hunting? I didn't think you were, but your eyes," she trailed off.

Never in her life did Alice Cullen so desperately want to see the future.

Never in her life did she think being unable to have a vision could be so exciting.

"You should, uh, get a snack."

She was probably saying that because of the subtle shaking of Alice's body, but she was...nervous. Thrilled. Stuck. Regardless, Bella was starting to look like she might carry Alice all the way to the Cullen house to ask someone what was wrong with her. But this was too close to what she craved to just let go of it so quickly. She blinked. For the first time in a while, she realized. "I'm not hungry."

Bella searched her face with thoughtful eyes and her lips moved, no doubt a question on her tongue. But she did what she always did, the thing that made Alice's control so fragile, so strained. She just let Alice be Alice.

It took three tries to swallow all the venom in her mouth. She wasn't trapped in green eyes anymore, but she focused on them anyway as she tried to compose herself and not take yet another misstep in their friendship. "You know I would've been fine, don't you?"

Then Bella's gaze darted away. "Well, you were falling. Because of me."

"I could've caught myself on any branch or landed on the ground without a problem."

Bella huffed, shifting her weight and thus moving Alice a little. "Look, if you're falling, I'm going to catch you, okay?"

"You have a tattoo?" She'd failed this test of control and had let her eyes follow Bella's jawline and study the tint moonlight lent to her hair. Her right hand slid across Bella's collar bone to push her hair aside. Slender fingers traced the design hooking over the front of her left shoulder even as Alice ached to see the rest of it on Bella's back and move the strap of her sports bra to see the image unhindered.

"It's not finished. I have to go get it colored. You like tattoos?"

"Yes," she said without looking up, "But only in theory. Meanwhile Rose is bitter she can't have any. I'm not sure I'd want one, but I do love them. The idea of letting your skin be a canvas and being able to express yourself in such a way is, to me, wonderful."

"Alice, are you going to fall if I let go?"

"No."

"Cool. Close your eyes."

After cocking an eyebrow, she obliged, but she still didn't take her hands off Bella. The sudden cold and sense of loss left in the wake of Bella's arm leaving her made Alice bite her tongue.

"Okay, open."

She gasped as she did. Her eyes raked across Bella's right arm, awash with black and reds and blues and even some dark green. Alice held her wrist where the tattoo tapered off in swirls as she explored the lively design with both her gaze and her fingers. It was somber, but hopeful, mixing dark and light aesthetics. "When did you get a -" She looked up and frowned at the way Bella's grin faltered. "-sleeve. What's wrong?" She became aware of their position all over again and feared she'd pushed too far by not getting off of her.

"Oh, no. Nothing. I just didn't know literally seeing color swirl back into your eyes would be so beautiful."

Alice's face softened, her thumb absently brushing over the top of Bella's wrist. "If anything's beautiful here, it's you."

That was _not_ a regular, casual thing to say. Tenderly. Under the light of the moon. In a person's lap.

But, for the first time, Bella's heart stuttered without something to excuse it that was not Alice Cullen.

And for the second time, a blush came over Bella's cheeks.

Alice's lips parted, her hand sliding up Bella's arm and only coming to a stop when her fingertips touched Bella's jaw.

"Clearly, you need your eyes checked." Bella tried to swallow but she wound up choking and coughing to the side as her heart beat faster. She recovered and took a deep breath, though her eyes didn't return to Alice's. "Sorry, not used to compliments. Thanks. Even though you're insane. So you're okay, right? I still can't believe I got the drop on you. I was out running and I smelled you and figured I could say thanks in person for giving me space. Wow, that is actually a weird as hell thing to say."

Alice hummed and adjusted herself, "slipping" a little closer at the mention of space. "Of course. I didn't want to leave you alone, but, well." She cupped Bella's face in her hands and searched green eyes. "Are you okay, though?"

Bella took a deep breath and knocked her head back against the tree as she looked up, causing cold hands to slip from her face and down to the base of her neck. "Yeah. I'm fine. I just wanna go back to sleep, I guess."

A rumble from Bella's stomach filled the air.

"Mm, are you sure you want sleep?" She snickered at Bella's scowl. "When was the last time you ate?"

"I dunno. I woke up at about nine and ate a little after ten, I think."

"God, Bella, how often do you eat?"

"So often, dude! Everyone called me a fat ass before but fuck, I'm so hungry so often. Charlie gets so sick of me asking if he wants something every time I go in the kitchen."

When Bella shifted her weight again, Alice asked, "Am I heavy?"

"Haha, no. Even if you were, I wouldn't tell you. I know how this works. I say one thing in a slightly off way and suddenly I've called you fat and you forever hold that over me." Her grin eased the alarm on Alice's face and the vampire swatted her shoulder with a smile. "Are you seriously asking me that, pipsqueak?"

She really needed Bella to stop calling her that, and she was about to say as much when she realized there was a certain sparkle in green eyes. "What-"

A strong arm secured her again-pulling her tightly against Bella-and their gazes didn't leave the other for a second as Bella stood and Alice was acutely aware of the fact her friend didn't blink at her wrapping her legs around her waist. Bella stepped off the branch just as Alice's arms went loosely around her neck.

The seconds it took for them to fall could've been an eternity for Alice. An eternity in Bella's arms, in her eyes.

A warm hand went under Alice's right thigh in an unnecessary effort to make sure she wouldn't fall as Bella's feet hit the ground and she dipped into a slight crouch for a second to cope with the added weight during the fall. The grin on Bella's face dissolved into a soft, thoughtful smile that was no more than a casual curve of her lips. "You're a lot of fun, Alice Cullen."

Her voice was as quiet as Bella's. "Can we sleep together?"

She definitely could have phrased that better. Or at least said it when they weren't in such a...position.

But Bella's brow just furrowed as she looked up at Alice. 'Don't you actually have to sleep for that?"

The fact Bella was passably decent at social cues and swung between observant and oblivious was some kind of weird blessing. "Yes! Well, no. Maybe? Sometimes we meditate-which I'm horrible at-or relax to reach a kind of trance-like state similar to sleep, but it's really hard for me and, hm. I actually don't think I've done it in at least a decade. When was London..."

"Fucking shit, you've been bouncing off walls for ten years?"

Alice shrugged at wide eyes. "Time is weird when you're immortal and can't sleep."

"Yeah, I bet." Bella's gaze drifted and she bit her lip for a second. "I, uh, I might have a nightmare."

Her shoulders sagged, but she offered a smile. "Well, if you do, I'll be there."

"Alright. Well. Okay. Yeah. Let's go."

To Alice's great amusement, Bella took a few steps before she mumbled "oh" and eased Alice off of her.

They walked in silence. The vampire's mind was incredibly far from any sort of relaxed state. But it was good, exciting. And she felt so...happy. Bella was awkward and rather calm, but she definitely felt _something_. Whether it was imprint-level or not, it was enough for Alice to be thrilled for when they were together. Because it was just a matter of time.

Because Bella was hers, even if she didn't know it yet.

And for the first time, Alice didn't want to dive headfirst into something and wait for everyone else to catch up.

Alice moved up their pace by taking up a casual run and she rolled her eyes when they got there and Bella started as if to go around the house. She jumped up to Bella's window and slid in, giggling softly as Bella quietly hissed her name.

Bella came through the window with notably less grace, but she didn't hit anything or produce a lot of noise. She scowled at Alice. "I don't know why I'm surprised. Of course you'd display your B&E skills at the house of the police chief."

Alice shrugged a shoulder. "I never said I was a good influence."

Then Bella rolled her eyes and her demeanor changed, signaled by her rubbing the back of her neck.

And Alice wasn't sure how to proceed without making it awkward.

But Bella grunted and bent to remove her shoes and socks and Alice followed suit until Bella literally flopped face-first onto the bed and didn't move.

"You are so weird."

"Says the psychic," Bella bit back, muffled by the pillow.

It was not a good comeback, and Bella yawned, shoving her arm under her pillow. There was plenty of space on the bed for Alice, but still, she hesitated.

"Alice?"

"Yes?"

"Go the fuck to sleep."

Really, she'd never smiled so much before Bella Swan. And that was saying something.

She flopped onto the bed like Bella had, but on her back, and stared up at the ceiling.

She checked the time after a while and the clock on Bella's nightstand told her she'd been failing at "sleep" for eleven minutes.

"What do you need?"

"I thought you were asleep."

Bella huffed...or something. Hard to tell between her mumbles and the way she'd shoved her face into the pillow. "Waiting for you to stop fidgeting."

Alice pursed her lips before reaching a decision. She scooted close to Bella and, after not being questioned, pressed against her and laid her head on Bella's shoulder. Her arm folded across Bella's back so that she could splay her fingers across the top of of the tattoo. It took up a majority of the shifter's left shoulder blade and she resisted moving the sports bra to see the rest of the airy design. Swallowing, she whispered, "Is this okay?"

"You're comfy."

"Bella, I'm cold and heavy and hard."

"Well fuck you, I like the weight of you and the cold is nice."

"Better than the other girls you've cuddled?"

Bella scoffed like she'd asked if water was wet. "I don't cuddle."

But she was doing it now, with Alice, and didn't object when Alice slid her leg over one of hers, settling in. "You don't do a lot of things, do you?"

Enough time passed for Alice to realize Bella probably fell asleep and she sighed, her breath ghosting across Bella's back.

"That was so cold, dude."

"I'm sorry."

"No. Like. Is everything of you cold? Mm. Dumb question."

Alice giggled. "Go to sleep."

"But are you comfy?"

The sound of Bella's heartbeat and breathing was steady, somehow intimate against Alice's ear now that it wasn't a noise just brought to her by her vampire senses. "Yes."

Bella grunted.

"Do you think I'm too hard?"

"You're not." Bella adjusted her pillow and her voice came out clearer. "You're just not really squishy like everyone else. I don't worry about hurting you."

"I worry about hurting you," Alice admitted.

"You won't. Go to sleep."

"Do you-"

"Alice, go to fucking sleep. Stop talking. Stop thinking. Just let go."

She did. She pressed closer against Bella and lifted her head to kiss the warm skin under her. Bella stiffened, but only for a moment. "Good night," she murmured, settling back down and closing her eyes.

"Night, Ali."

The vampire drifted with a smile on her face and a phantom beating in her chest.

* * *

 **A/N:** They're so? Gay? And Bella's so _dumb_ oh my god.

I absolutely line up a shot at the end of the chapters, Sk8rgrl69, I absolutely do. And FrankDank! Thank you :)


	5. Patience Is Not Easily Mastered

**A/N:** Because someone besides me might need some positive vibes.

In which Bella almost has a stroke.

* * *

"Bella! I'm going to watch some college games with Billy today. You going to be okay?"

Groaning at the sudden shouting, Bella squinted at her alarm clock and mumbled a curse into her pillow. Only Charlie would shower and plan to go to the Reservation at eight in the morning. For _college_ games. "Yeah!"

He yelled a farewell to her and as she curled up, burrowing deeper into her pillow, her mind drifted toward nothingness again. The sound of the water running was a comforting one, though louder than usual.

Then Bella's eyes shot open and she sat up so fast her back popped.

Sure enough, the door to her bathroom was closed and her shower was going.

Alice fucking Cullen was taking a shower in her house after cuddling her through the night.

Trying to figure out how exactly her life had taken so many turns this year, Bella ran a hand through her hair. She bustled around her room with more than a few sudden glances to the bathroom door as she gathered some clothes. A deep breath was oozing out of her in the hall as she stopped at the closet to grab the extras of the things she needed for her morning routine. Kicking closed the door to Charlie's bathroom, she dropped everything on the counter and rubbed her temple, moving to start the water and hope Alice hadn't used up all the hot water.

She sent a text to Jacob to ask him if she was awake. He'd probably scratch his head at it but she didn't really care.

Sighing, she picked some music and started preparing for whatever the day had in store for her, pulling off her clothes and throwing herself into the shower.

Fully dressed and ready to face the day, Bella got a little excited about the smell of coffee drifting up the stairs as she passed her room. She really, really needed it.

Then Alice proved twenty minutes was not anywhere near enough time to prepare for her by popping out of Bella's room, already talking, "I didn't think you'd be up so early so I started your coff—"

At the sight of Alice in a towel, Bella's foot had slipped and her hand failed to find the railing.

So she toppled down the stairs.

Her head eventually hit the ground floor and green eyes blinked as she stared up at the ceiling, not bothering to drag the lower half of her body off the stairs.

She could not be awake right now. Maybe, just maybe, she was actually in a hospital bed in Phoenix in a coma or something. Or maybe she was dead.

In one blink, Alice was kneeling beside her and touching her face, her gold eyes wide. "Are you okay?"

"I—" She swallowed and, with the tips of her fingers, held closed the part of Alice's towel that threatened to open. A drop of water hit her eye from Alice's still-wet hair above her. "I'm gay."

Alice frowned and pressed the back of her hand to Bella's forehead even though it was a fruitless endeavor because of the extreme difference in their temperatures. "Can you still get concussions?"

Choking on words, though she didn't know what they were, Bella started scooting herself off the stairs and across the floor, but Alice's firm grip on her shoulder kept her from getting far.

"Bella, are you okay? You're strong, but you can still break your bones."

"Coffee. Just need coffee." Free of Alice's hold, she hopped to her feet and all but ran to the coffeemaker. She almost dropped her mug because of her fingers not working properly.

"I'm bisexual."

Bella swiveled around and jumped, her mug flying out of her hand and into the sink. Alice was incredibly _close_ and the curious tilt of her head just added to Bella's racing heart as she pressed herself as close as she could to the counter, the edge digging almost painfully into her. "Wh—What?"

"I don't know. You randomly pointed out something, so I did, too."

She swallowed, pulse in her ears, and nodded a little. "That's cool."

Alice carried on like Bella wasn't fumbling with speech. "Is it alright if I steal one of your shirts?"

"Yeah, sure, whatever you need."

After Alice blurred away, Bella sank to the floor, hand over her raging heart.

So much for not seeming like she was crazy about Alice Cullen. Hopefully she wouldn't damage their friendship. But then flashes of last night and some things Edward had said about vampires fired around her mind. Their eyes got darker with hunger or some emotions, and Alice's had went black in an instant in her lap.

True, she shouldn't have pulled Alice into her lap. She was just worried and not thinking. And she'd continued fucking up by indulging herself in the pull of this particular vampire and enjoying it. She'd felt that shifter part of herself, that instinctual wolf, so intensely she just couldn't help herself. It'd felt like water after an eternity in the desert, like she'd been terribly denying herself this entire time.

But damn why'd she have to fixate on her friend to this degree?

If it wasn't for that damn vampire in Phoenix, none of this would be happening and she'd still be having a regular life.

Bella didn't care about that, not really. Not when she had Charlie and felt at home here. Not when she was maybe reconciling with Jake and Leah. Not when she knew the Cullens.

This was just a little much.

Dragging her hand through her hair as she finally stood back up, Bella was just retrieving her mug from the sink and examining it for damage when Alice bounced to her side. She stared down at the smile and the light in gold eyes directed at her. That's when she realized.

Alice enjoyed last night, too.

But vampires met someone and instantly realized they were destined for that person and she was apparently a natural enemy of vampires.

Bella blinked. "What'd you say?"

"I asked what we're doing today."

"I have errands to run today." She took a half-step away from Alice, just to create a little distance, and actually _looked_ at Alice. Looked at the slight falter in her smile in response to the space between them. Looked at Alice in one of her band tees with a dark blue plaid shirt over it instead of a jacket. "Are you real?"

Alice cocked her head, a line forming between her eyebrows. "I certainly hope so. Why?"

Slowly, with her arm pausing for a second as she raised it, she reached up and ran her hand through Alice's messy spikes. "You're just. You're so small and so cute."

The vampire clasped her hands in front of herself and rocked back and forth on her feet with a wide grin. "You think so? Well, I'm a regular size, but I'm willing to overlook your comment about that if you make up for it with compliments."

"How many?"

"Mmmm, thirty."

Bella pinched the bridge of her nose. "I'd say you're kidding, but I know you too well for that."

"Fine. One really good one. And thirty a day for the rest of our days."

"Yeah, no."

Alice crossed her arms. "I thought you were my friend!"

Rolling her eyes, Bella patted Alice's head and mumbled, "Indeed, pipsqueak."

"If you're not going to call me by my nickname, then you _have_ to give me compliments. It's part of the rules."

"I _am_ calling you by your nickname, _pipsqueak_."

Alice stomped her foot like she hadn't spent over a hundred years on this earth. "Bella!"

The whine in her tone had Bella's eyebrows rising. Her mug bounced into the sink again and she was sliding her hands around Alice's shoulders, pulling her into a hug. She gave a tired sigh as cold arms slowly locked around her waist. "Hey. I'm sorry. I know I'm grumpy and dumb and I don't communicate like I should about some things. You're a great friend. And stuff. Really. I'm like a troll or something but you still reach out to me and don't complain that I'm not showing you affection. That's not fair to you. I...I'll work on it, okay?" _Even though that's damning with these emotions_.

After a few moments, Alice turned her face into Bella's neck, her voice soft. "This is a nice first hug."

"Yeah it is."

"I'm...holding back a lot."

"Me too."

"Why?"

"Well, Alice, I've never had this type of dynamic and I tend to ruin things."

"I like that first part and don't believe the second."

"I like how cold you are."

"I like how warm you are."

"No, dammit. I'm trying to compliment you."

"Oh," Alice giggled. "You're going to have to do better than that."

"But then I just come off gay."

Alice leaned back enough to look up at Bella. "You literally told Rosalie two days ago that you'd let her bite you."

"That's different." Bella scowled at Alice's questioning eyebrow. "We don't flirt."

"Well, why not? I like attention. Do you not like attention?"

Bella was rubbing her temple, trying and failing to step out of the hug. "I, I wouldn't even know how. You—"

"You can turn walking into a chair into flirting, so I don't see what you're talking about."

"You're so small and cute, Alice, damn!" Bella ran a hand through her hair, not making eye contact. "You're the cutest thing to bless the human race. Good enough compliment? Let me go."

She obliged, but she pouted as she did. "If you're going to be insincere, then don't bother."

Bella slapped a hand to her face with a small scream in the back of her throat. If she'd been looking at Alice instead of the ceiling, she would've noticed the vampire looked regretful of poking her buttons too much. But she hadn't. Her hands fell to small hips and she hoisted Alice onto the counter. Her fists were resting on either side of her friend as she leaned down a little so that they were eye to eye. Her knuckles were white. "Are you listening?"

"Yes," Alice breathed, gold locked onto green.

But Bella hesitated. Her jaw popped in the silence as she clenched it. As her lips parted to finally say something, a cold finger touched them and Alice scooted farther off the counter, the inside of her knees brushing past Bella's hips, her free hand going to Bella's collar.

Bella straightened and was suddenly walking away and up the stairs, jaw still tight as she called back, "You're incredibly endearing, Alice Cullen. Do you want to run errands with me?"

"Yes," came the quiet answer.

* * *

Tapping a pen against the folded paper in her hand, Alice was popping her lips and lightly rocking from side to side as Bella pushed her in a cart through the store.

"You sure you wanna tag along for the rest of what I have to do today?"

"Yes!" The past few hours had been interesting. First, food, then the home improvement store for something Bella needed to fix in the house, a small walk, and now groceries. She watched Bella go around the cart to walk a little up the aisle to look at the soda options. "Aren't you just going to get Pepsi?"

"Look, I like to pretend I don't get the same thing every time, okay?" Bella huffed and grabbed a 12 pack of pepsi anyway.

The corners of Alice's eyes crinkled. "You're made of Pepsi, I think. But I don't have any plans today, just tomorrow."

"Ah, what is the infamous Alice Cullen up to tomorrow? Perhaps more B&E? Creating yet another masterpiece? Hey, I'm throwing this water at the bottom, okay?"

"Okay. And just hunting with Jazzy." Alice didn't blink as the case thudded into the cart and she bounced a little as a result. "Not to toot my own horn," she huffed when Bella snorted, "but I _do_ indeed create masterpieces. We should draw together sometime outside of class. And you can't say no because I saw that drawing table you have."

Bella's hands settled on her hips as she cocked an eyebrow at her own pen being pointed at her. " I can say whatever I want, pipsqueak."

"That entire corner of your room is just art! You can't say no. If I wasn't a wonderful, graceful being, I would've slipped on supplies in the first two steps into your room and broken my neck. And then were would you be? Without me. A tragedy of Shakespearean proportions."

Head tilted to the side, a smile twitched on her lips. "If that was the case, we would've went in the front door and that wouldn't have happened. Actually, it wouldn't have happened at all because I wouldn't have seen you last night."

"The real tragedy," Alice murmured, glancing back to the paper in her hands. "You just have 'bathroom' written next."

Bella pushed the cart out the aisle and across the store. "Did you, uh, 'sleep' okay?"

"Fantastic, actually. Thank you. It was really nice being close to someone." She almost said "you" instead.

An endearing furrow appeared between Bella's eyebrows. "What do you mean?"

"I haven't had sex or cuddled in a little over fifteen years. Or seventeen? It's been a while."

The cart took a sharp turn, drawing gold eyes to Bella, and they parked on the side of an empty aisle. Still, Bella leaned forward over the handle of the cart to raise her eyebrows at Alice. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, Jasper and I mutually decided to stop seeing each other."

Bella's blinking was a little slow.

"We aren't mates, but we spent time together and we're still rather close. Sometimes he _leeches_ my good mood to cope with things like thirst and whatever." Her eyes crinkled at her own joke, but it faded as concern pulled at Bella's face.

"You must be starved."

She winced before her gaze dropped to the paper in her hands and she crossed off the soda and water from the list. "Patience is a virtue I've spent my whole life working on. Just when I think I have it, I don't. Carlisle assures me he feels the same way but I don't think it really compares."

"Alice."

She looked up, discovering that Bella was staring down, her foot bouncing against the cart.

"You can leech off me. Until you find your mate."

What in the fuck did Edward tell her about mates that it didn't occur to her that she could _be_ that mate?

Or was she just not Bella's imprint?

"If you want. Not that I'm propositioning you for sex. Which is what it sounds like, fuck. I just. I'm comfortable with you." Bella gestured vaguely around them with a wave of her hand. "Clearly. Otherwise I wouldn't be here. And, like. I get it. I might be a little stiff, but, yeah."

The sweet, awkward mess in front of her was incredibly difficult not to kiss. "Bella, you already have a hard time with me."

Bella's voice dropped and she finally met Alice's eyes. She was whisper-screaming, which would've been funny if the vampire wasn't caught between a decision. "Alice Cullen, you are way too adorable and far too pretty and I am really fucking gay. I am doing my best, okay?"

"Do you think I'm as pretty as Ro—" She bit her tongue, gaze snapping to the side before she focused on the list again. "What is 'bathroom' supposed to be?"

But Bella's loud heart got closer and she almost broke the pen in her grip. That would've been horrific. Not only was it Bella's favorite type, but it was new, so that would've been a lot of wet ink on her jeans. Her name left Bella's lips slowly. She started looking up against her will and was met with the sight of a blushing Bella—that made for four times now—bending down to her level and officially taking up half the aisle. Reluctant green eyes that she had to refrain from complimenting met hers.

"While I am not wholly convinced Rosalie Hale is not Aphrodite, that doesn't make her prettier than you. Chumps like me, yeah, obviously. But you guys are each pretty in a different way." She held up a finger. "Now, are you with me and promising not to breathe any of this to Rosalie so that I may continue to live?"

Alice gave a slight nod.

But Bella hesitated. Cleared her throat as she looked around. "Now I know that doesn't really reassure you. Not what you want to hear, but you don't want a lie either. So, forgive me if I'm overstepping. But, damn, Alice." Her gaze came back to the vampire sitting in her cart in a grocery store on a Saturday morning. "The reason I'll have so much fucking trouble finding a girlfriend whenever I get around to it is absolutely you and _your_ smiling face. I don't know how someone can compete. I really do not. However that changes our dynamic, you shouldn't feel the need to compare yourself to someone because you're Alice Cullen, a beautiful, crazy little hurricane. Your mate's gonna know that. And if not, I'll hit them over the head until they do. While Rosalie throws me various weapons, probably."

Alice moved to her knees and pulled on Bella's collar to bring her closer so she could press a kiss to a hot cheek, her lips lingering there. Then her forehead fell to Bella's shoulder. "You're so sweet when you're not grumpy."

Bella huffed. "Yeah, well, don't tell anyone."

"Will you take it off?"

"What?"

"Your jacket." Alice leaned back and pulled on it for emphasis. "I want to see your tattoos. Well, the one available for viewing with that shirt."

"No. A junior in high school with a sleeve raises questions I don't want to answer and _holy fuck that is cute_."

Alice blinked her wide eyes and pushed her bottom lip out juuust a little farther, tugging on the jacket again. She heard Bella's heart thump harder. "Please? For me?"

The shifter whipped off her jacket and threw it at Alice, who of course caught it, and drove the cart again. Green eyes studiously pretended she was alone, but she cleared her throat. "So, what's after bathroom? Because that was for me to remember what I was forgetting and I'm still drawing a blank."

"Oh. Uhm, I don't know."

Bella cocked an eyebrow, pointing at the list in Alice's hands. "What are you talking about? It's right in front of you."

"I may or may not have drawn all over it."

Bella sighed as Alice giggled.

* * *

 **A/N:** Heyo, Guest! I'm glad you decided to drop by and super glad you're enjoying this silly ride. Bellice is something else. But of course Rose and Bella are friends. Lol it's required.


	6. Bonds

**A/N:** In which Esme almost has a stroke.

* * *

As soon as Bella opened her locker, Rosalie was slamming her hand to it. She leaned against the lockers and crossed her arms with an idle smirk.

"You are literally a bully. Actually, seriously a bully. And it's way too early for that."

Rosalie shrugged a shoulder as Bella started spinning the dial for her combination again. She clicked her tongue. "You say that when I come to you to be excessively polite. Truly, I am hurt."

The shifter ran her tongue across her teeth before biting it for a second. Then a subtle quirk of her lips. Her way of containing a part of herself, Rosalie had come to identify. She'd seen the playful, almost animalistic—or perhaps simply wild—grin surface once and it was something she could never forget. Alice would love it.

At least, she better, because Rosalie _knew_ it promised fun.

"So, what can I do for you today, Miss Hale?"

"Oh, I'm kidnapping you after school."

Bella switched some textbooks out of her backpack for one in her locker. "I have homework to do."

"I didn't ask you that."

"How rude of you."

"Quite." Rosalie smirked at the glint in green eyes. "Are you complaining?"

"Never, Miss Hale. I look forward to a Wednesday afternoon for once."

"Good decision, Swan. I—Can I help you?" She stopped talking to look at the girls that'd stopped beside them.

Bella was closing her locker and turning as a result. She glanced between the vampire and Jessica and some girl whose name was Lissa if she was remembering correctly.

Jessica fidgeted with a lock of her hair, avoiding looking at the casual glare directed at her. "Uhm, yeah. We just needed to talk to Bella for a second. So, did you follow the lecture yesterday because—"

"Do this on your time, not mine," Rosalie interrupted, disdain curling her lip.

Lissa didn't share Jessica's hesitation. "Look, being hot isn't a substitute for having a personality."

"As if you're worth my time? Worth me?" Gold eyes burned into Bella. "Tell them to get lost before my patience wanes."

Jessica looked between them, lingering on Bella, who wouldn't look at her. "Are you serious? Bella?"

"Uh, I'll catch up with you later."

Lissa dragged Jessica away in her disbelief, muttering, "I don't know why you talk to her at all. She's so fucking weird and apparently, like, a bitch in training."

Rosalie's face had notably relaxed by the time Bella ran a hand through her hair and looked at her. "What?"

"I don't really like people much either, but damn, Rosalie."

"They don't matter and I don't have time for things that don't matter. In a few decades they'll be dust and I'll still be me, travelling the world and somehow finding new things to do."

Bella jerked her head for them to walk—toward Rosalie's first class, she noticed—and eventually said something when they turned into a different hallway. "So why do you like me? Or, maybe better put, tolerate me?"

She didn't say anything immediately. It wasn't that she had to think about it because she'd already spent full days doing that and talking to Emmett about it. They came to a stop outside of her class and she finally looked at Bella, a frown on her face. "I don't tolerate you. I would and have tentatively called you my friend. Which is, believe me, more uncharacteristic of me than you think."

Wide eyes just stared at her.

"First of all, I have to make sure you're worth being around Alice. She's a mad, little demon child and she can make me wish I was dead, but she is my sister after all this time. I don't care what or who you are, if you hurt her feelings in any way, I'm tearing out your spine."

"Right."

Rosalie allowed a small smirk at the way Bella was unfazed by the threat. "There's also that. You're unafraid of me, but not in a haughty way. You don't disregard me. More importantly, there's this...feeling I get from you that I relate to. I doubt the things you've endured this year are remotely close to what I've been through, but, hm." She tilted her head, a wave of hair falling over her shoulder and her gaze travelling as the bell rang. "I don't entirely know how to express it. But a lesson this life has reinforced in me, along with living with a psychic, a mind reader, and an empath, is that sometimes life can simply happen and you can only choose how you react to it. And that's what matters. This is how I've chosen to react to you."

Bella slowly nodded, her eyes thoughtful. "Well, I appreciate that, Rosalie. I'll...I'll go to class now, before you have me skip the whole period instead of just being late. I won't make you regret it."

Rosalie snorted as Bella started to leave. "You better not. You're rather fun for a dog. And Swan?"

She spun, walking backwards down the hall. "Yeah, Hale?"

"Don't try me. I absolutely would have you sit in this miserable class with me for my own entertainment."

* * *

"So."

There was something different in Bella's tone today. Edward idly turned a knob on the microscope as he stared over it at her, his eyebrows drawn together. He actually hadn't asked her many questions today. Or was twelve a lot? "Yes?"

"What's it like? Me being dead in the water to you, I mean. I know you're curious about me, but, like, beyond that."

He was turning the knob too much now. "May I ask you something first?"

"Of course," she laughed, looking at him with lighter eyes than he expected.

"Do you consider me your friend or do you simply humor me?"

A patient, friendly smile, with perhaps affection, came to Bella's face and she leaned back in her chair and laid her hand on his arm. "Edward, two weeks ago, you asked 53 questions in one day. If I didn't consider you a friend, I would've jumped out this window." She rapped her knuckles against the window beside her seat for emphasis.

Edward cleared his throat, averting his gaze. "Yes. I am incredibly sorry about that."

"I was a little annoyed at first, but I'd probably be the same way, honestly. It must be exciting. So yeah, if I'm testy it's because of my mood, not you."

He nodded. "Exciting, yes. Frustrating as well." In the silence, he realized he'd actually said the last sentence aloud. "I may have a confession that ties into the answer to your question."

"Okay."

Edward watched her casually fill in part of her worksheet. Before he knew it, he was being terribly candid, and he couldn't stop. "You are so unlike the other shifters I've met. Your manner itself. Your moods will swing but they are remarkably stable. Literally all of you is intriguing. I don't understand what makes you different. Your shield? It seems like a stretch to me. Compound that with being unknown to me, with you being odd? With the way you pose difficulty to Jasper? You utterly fascinate me."

"Got a crush on me, Edward?"

He almost snapped the knob off the microscope in a rush to wave his hands in front of himself. "No! Thankfully. Not that you aren't pretty. Which isn't to say that the physical form is what matters! Your personality is—"

"Breathe with me." She squeezed his arm and took a deep breath, watching him mirror her, and they held it before releasing it slowly. "You're okay. Everything is okay."

"Thank you," he murmured, withdrawing from her touch. "The confession, though, before I continue to put it off. You are, ah, my singer."

"Please tell me that is not some kind of romantic thing."

Edward cocked his head. Out of context, it did perhaps sound romantic. "No, it means your blood sings to me. I ache to break my diet with a thirst I've never experienced before, even when I was coming to this diet."

"Oh. Shit. That, uh, well. That's gotta _suck_."

He glanced sideways and, sure enough, Bella had a tiny smile, like she was actually trying to make him feel better about wanting to kill her. "You are odd. Why aren't you alarmed?"

"I can die any time, man. But you don't seem strained. Not anymore, like a few months ago," she observed.

"You are correct. Shifter blood does not present thirst in us. Carlisle guesses on account of the natural enemies factor."

"Right. I smell like dog, right?"

"Wet dog, yes." His gold eyes grew unfocused and he stayed that way until she poked his arm. Edward was blinking rapidly as he completed half of his worksheet. "Sorry, a thought. But yes, I was initially distressed by your presence, but it has grown easier with each day. You are like...if you were to engorge yourself on steak against your will, day in, day out. And then, after weeks of this, someone presents your favorite cut of steak, cooked to perfection, and you feel nauseated just thinking about it."

"Damn."

"Yes, I view it as a blessing so that I don't face such weakness unhindered and hurt someone. I'd never forgive myself."

"You know what this means, right?"

Edward's brow furrowed at her light smile. "God can give small favors to the damned?"

"If that's how you wanna view it, yes but no. You need to get over the monster thing. Anyway, this means we were literally destined to be buds."

He smiled back at her.

* * *

Esme knew Rosalie was going for a casual cruise, a real one, when she had navigated one of her older Mustangs out the garage. So she hadn't expected to see the blonde until the next day, maybe, and already prepared to preempt the call from the school over her absence.

Surprising to say the least, was the sound of Rosalie returning a mere couple hours later. With another person. She started finalizing her notes with haste so she could meet them in the living room just as they got there and she wildly hoped she was finally meeting the infamous Bella Swan.

What Esme truly hadn't expected and had no way to prepare for was the sight of her daughter going on a tangent about a certain car engine in the living room with her arm around someone's shoulders and their arm around her waist.

"Hey, Esme. This is Bella."

Bella Swan offered a wave and a smile and complimented her home.

She wondered what exactly having a stroke felt like because, vampire or not, she might've been having one.

The only other possibility was that yes, her daughter who was most particular about people and her space was not only relaxed with someone outside of the family, but physically very close.

Clearly, Bella Swan was her daughter now. Shifter or not.

Esme was finally composing herself and responding when Carlisle emerged from his office with a delighted smile as he came to stand next to her.

"Ah! Bella Swan. A pleasure. I've been wanting to meet you for years."

Rosalie cocked her eyebrow much the same way Esme did, but it was Bella who asked, "Years?"

"Oh. Yes." He chuckled. "Your dad uses you as a way to cover up his awkwardness. My favorite is when a nice girl informed you she would like to date you and you pointed over her shoulder with an excuse and then climbed out of a window. In your escape, you sprained your wrist when you fell out the nearby tree. At the time you were thirteen, I think?" When everyone in the room stared at him, Bella with a faint blush on her face, he smiled a little sheepishly. "Charlie tells stories surprisingly well."

"I need to hear more stories."

"Shut up, Rosalie."

Esme had just figured out how to save the situation her husband caused when they heard an almost shrill, excited voice from out the back door and past the yard. Except, it was carrying slower than its owner.

Bella hardly got to form a syllable before Rosalie jumped away from her as she got tackled off her feet by a small blur.

Carlisle actually made a surprised noise while Esme just latched onto his arm and held a hand to her chest. He reached up to remove her hand with a murmur of concern over Alice breaking Bella's back. But her fingers dug into his bicep at the sight of the shifter just gathering a consistently talking Alice in her arms and standing up, nodding. She heard Carlisle give a small gasp.

Alice halfway climbed up Bella's body to sit on her shoulders—Bella held the tops of her thighs to secure her, Esme noticed—and jabbed an accusatory finger at Rosalie. "Friend stealer!"

The blonde rolled her eyes. "Bella can have more than one friend. And I was tired of you hiding her away."

As Alice argued back, Bella walked over to Esme and Carlisle like it was the most natural thing in the world to have a vampire sitting on her shoulders, yelling back and forth with another vampire that trailed after them. She held out her hand to Carlisle. "Anyway, nice to finally meet you. I appreciate the work you do for Forks. We wouldn't be the same without you and I know some people say ignorant things about you, but they're idiots."

"You sound like Charlie," he chuckled, releasing her hand. "But thank you. I genuinely enjoy helping people."

Green eyes noted Esme's fierce attachment to her husband's arm and settled on another small wave. "Mrs. Cullen, I—"

"Esme."

"Esme, I really appreciate the food you sent my way. But you know what that means, right?"

She tilted her head, her grip on Carlisle lessening just a fraction. "No, dear."

"It means—"

"It means we got a stray dog!"

Emmett came in from the back like Alice had with raised eyebrows as Bella rounded on Rosalie. "Hale, we're gonna _fight_. You know damn well I wanted to make that joke!"

Unashamed, Rosalie flipped her hair over her shoulder. "You can't touch me."

"I can absolutely touch you whenever I want! Wait. No."

Carlisle stifled a laugh by coughing into his hand but Esme was growing certain this wasn't real. Maybe she was suffering from a vampire-concussion. Yes, she was making vampire history.

"Say when, Swan."

Alice hissed at her smirk and a sort of awkwardness fell over the room while Rosalie seemed extraordinarily pleased with herself.

That is, until Emmett whistled. "Imma go make popcorn. Do we have popcorn?"

Carlisle sighed.

Esme waved her free hand. "Pretending we're adults here, I have a question." The sight of Bella turning to her with a serious, open expression as Alice pouted atop her shoulders was something else. She cleared her throat. "Do we not smell insufferable to you? The Quileute shifters have created the impression our mere presence is sickening, due to both smell and their instincts demanding they kill us and keeping them close to shifting."

While Edward practically materialized and made Bella tense for a second, to which he apologized, Carlisle looked at her like she was the sun and the moon and Esme couldn't help smiling.

"That's…" Bella's eyebrow twitched as she searched for words. "Excessive. I can't say I'm surprised with what Jake's told me about Sam, but, I. I'm sorry. Are you telling me they're just constantly shaking and growling around you or something?"

"Pretty much, yeah," Emmett pitched in from the couch. "Always ready to fight."

Rosalie's lip curled. "Always reminding us we smell like death while they smell like unbathed, mangey dogs."

"What a carnival of an existence. Wow. Uhm. Well. You guys smell different than a standard vampire."

Esme's brow furrowed as a frown tugged at her mouth. "When did you encounter—"

"How so?" Alice and Edward blurted at once.

"That vampire smelled like pure death, yeah, like. Like a mix of the sickly sweet of an old person close to death and the nauseating smell of actual death."

Carlisle tried and failed to step closer thanks to Esme's hold on him. "And we do not?"

"No. You guys smell kind of sweet, but it's not overpowering. It's like an undercurrent." Bella focused on Esme and Carlisle respectively. "You smell like honey and you smell like, I don't know, I can't really place it. I know it but I can't remember."

"Yo, Boo, what do I smell like?"

"Victory." Bella rolled her eyes at Emmett's grin and anticipated Edward once he cleared his throat. "You smell like a new book and unrelenting sadness."

Edward huffed.

"And me?" Alice bounced atop her shoulders.

Bella looked up at gold eyes the best she could. "You smell like moonlight. I know how that sounds, but, like, I don't know how to describe it."

As her more excited daughter clapped her hands in delight, Esme looked at her grumpier one. "You don't want to know, Rose?"

"No, I'm sure I smell amazing. No need to inflate my ego further, I should think. It's a wonder I can even stand upright."

"Hale, you smell like sweat and oil."

Bella hissed at the sudden blow to her ribs and rubbed them. "How brazen of you to bully me in front of your mom, you rose-scented vampire."

"You're lying." When Bella winked at her, she hissed.

"Aww, _Rose_ ," Emmett chuckled, "Don't be so mean."

"And your instincts?" Carlisle asked, getting them back on track.

"Oh, right. I'm really aware of you guys but not much else. Stupidly aware of Jasper, though. I feel like I shouldn't have my back to him, but I've been working through that. He just feels...less contained. And smells like summer, by the way. I've, uh, I've been thinking about this since talking with Jake and Leah more and I have a theory?"

Carlisle looked like he'd won some sort of sweepstakes and Esme gave a light roll of her eyes in time with Rosalie.

Alice leaned forward to catch Bella's eye. "The floor is yours."

"And the ceiling, yours. Uhm, but anyway, so. I came into all of this naturally, you could say, without influence, right? The Quileutes have not only Sam's rhetoric and thoughts and will, if my understanding of packs is correct, but generations of prejudice and fear literally in their genes in combination with their legends. And so that's why I'm standing in a house of vampires?"

"That still doesn't explain your other oddities," Edward said quietly.

Esme noticed Bella's gaze grow distant for a second and wondered how much about Bella they didn't know.

Of course, Carlisle swooped in, his mind having already shot off to a hundred different tangents. "Perhaps a different genetic line is a factor in all of this? I'm aware it can skip generations and I've encountered and heard of a few other groups of shifters, but if we could trace your lineage, I'm certain we could find definite answers."

Bella seemed to be truly uncomfortable for the first time, if the surprised and puzzled stares of her children were anything to go by, but Alice looked like a lightbulb appeared above her head.

"We have to go."

Carlisle frowned up at Alice. "Why?"

Alice was patting the top of Bella's head and pointing to the door. "I have to show you something. I just remembered."

"Let me get the door," Edward said hurriedly, pushing Bella into walking.

In the wake of their departure, a heaviness pervaded the atmosphere. And, judging from Edward's face, he wasn't divulging any answers any time soon.

"Did I say something wrong?" Carlisle asked.

"Sounded good to me, old man."

Rosalie's thoughtful eyes met hers and Esme decided to lead them out of the situation and finally let her excitement fully manifest. Her grip on Carlisle's arm mutated into shaking him—which surprised her as much as him—and she actually made a noise like a squeal that would've made Alice proud. "Mates! I can't believe Alice found her mate in this little town, of all places. Goodness, we held a vote on whether or not to kill her or move. Ah and I can finally use my kitchens!"

Emmett blurred over to Edward and lifted him off the ground. "Is that true? We found Tink's mate?"

"Yes," he said irritably, trying to pull himself from the strong grip.

But Emmett swung him around as he turned to Rosalie. "Babe, you know what that—Wait. Wait. Did you _know_?"

Rosalie sighed and, breezing past him, patted his arm.

"In retrospect, I should've realized something when Alice asked me if shifters can reciprocate the mate bond, but I—" He spun, dazed, as Esme disappeared into the kitchen.

"It can happen," she called, blurring as she gathered ingredients and pans for a meal to deliver to the Swan home. Alice got her mate, Rose got a friend, and she got a daughter. Who knew Forks would be so eventful this time around?

"We don't know that shifters and vampires can—"

"Too late," Rosalie and Esme shouted at once.

"Hey," Emmett said to no one in particular, "Does Bella even know what an imprint is?"

* * *

 **A/N:** No she doesn't but she's about to.

*chuckles at my own nod to Black Star where Rose smells like roses* So we got some answers, some questions, some gay, some cute, some friendship. And the image of Alice arguing with Rosalie from atop Bella's shoulders lmao


	7. A Verbal Confession

**A/N:** Updating because my trusty voice of reason known as Paige suggested not waiting lmao

So has anyone put together what Alice had a light bulb go off about in regards to Bella last chapter that I've hinted at a few times?

* * *

"It's November 1st."

"Yes." Still, Alice's excited expression didn't falter at Bella's tired one.

Adjusting her backpack and idly scratching her cheek, Bella mumbled, "The first of November."

"Yes."

"It's not even nine in the morning yet."

Alice pointed at the black santa hat on her head. "Look. I thought about this, okay? I wear this one because you're grumpy and you wear this one because I'm the positive, better part of this duo. We're representing each other."

"You want me to wear that. Today." Bella didn't look up from it as she jerked her thumb over her shoulder toward the school. "In front of people. And I'm guessing until Christmas."

"Yes."

"Like...every day?"

"Bella, you're starting to sound like Rose."

She looked up toward Rosalie by Emmett's Jeep and noticed she seemed _very_ excited about Bella wearing the bright santa hat. The sadist. "I see she doesn't have one."

"No, because this is about us. Aren't you listening?"

"I'm sorry. I've only been awake for thirty minutes and you're already testing the depth of our friendship." When Jessica shouted her name across the parking lot, she called over her shoulder, "Hang on!"

"Well, you're making me reevaluate our friendship, Bella."

She sighed. "Okay."

"Really?"

Green eyes got the widest they'd been all morning because of Alice's squeal and bounce. "Yeah. But, can I—"

"Bella!"

She whirled around. "Give me a fucking second, Jessica!"

"Any clue what she wants?"

"No, but she looks excited and that's never a good sign. Anyway. Can I put it on in second period? Like, so I can have a chance to wake up and understand the new reality of my life?"

"That's fair. I didn't expect you to agree."

"What!"

Alice grinned and shooed her away. "Go on, now. Before she starts screeching."

As Bella huffed and started dragging herself across the parking lot, Alice went over to her family and quirked an eyebrow at the faces awaiting her. "What?"

"Ah, nothing, little freak." Edward slung an arm around her shoulder and held her close.

Emmett, however, was pretending to eat popcorn out of a large bucket.

Rosalie sighed.

Jasper just stared at Bella finally demanding what had Jessica yelling so early in the morning and Alice followed his gaze.

Angela didn't share the enthusiasm or anticipation those around her had.

"Well," Jessica gestured pointlessly with her hand as she leaned against Mike, "We were just talking. You know?"

"I would imagine."

Mike nodded. "And the winter dance is coming up."

Edward's grip on Alice tightened when she twitched.

"Ugh, right. I forgot we had one of those."

"You like Rosalie Hale, huh?" Jules piped up, moving ahead of Tyler and a little past Jessica.

Bella's shoulders rose and fell. "Why wouldn't I?"

"Bit of a bitch, don't you think?"

"If you mean intelligent, driven...proud, charismatic, witty, and unforgiving, then yeah. She's one of the biggest bitches I've ever met."

Jessica had already slapped a hand to her face while Jules ran through a series of facial expressions, including tired, surprised, regretful, and determined. "I didn't mean it in a negative way."

Bella took half a step back. "I'm not really sure what we're talking about? But maybe that's because I'm not fully awake."

"I was wondering if bitches are your type? Because if so we figured you should go to the dance with one."

"This is painful," Rosalie muttered.

"The fuck? Why would I ask her to the dance when she has a boyfriend?"

While Edward sighed and loosened his hold on her, Alice shook her head. "I can't tell if it's the morning or she's that oblivious."

Jessica jumped back in. "No. Bella. Wake up. Jules wants to go to the dance with you."

Bella's head whipped to the side to look at Jules. " _Why_?"

"I—"

"Never mind. Sorry. Uhm. Not interested in the dance. Thanks. I need to get something out my locker, so—"

"Dinner this Saturday?"

"Dude, I asked you your name last week when we've even done a project in class together."

"Yeah, but you forget yours, too. And life, it seems. You're hot and a little broody and a little angry and I like it. It doesn't have to be complicated."

"Thanks?"

"Besides, don't you think it'd be good for you? Half the time people are saying you're trailing after Rosalie Hale or you're into Alice Cullen," she trailed off in a laugh.

"Bitch, I might be. You wanna tell me what joke you told? Because I sure as hell didn't hear it."

"Bella—"

She held up a _slightly_ trembling hand toward Jessica. "There is nothing immediately wrong with developing feelings for a friend in a relationship, but you can't call that trailing after them. And you're taking shots at Alice like it's impossible for someone to be interested in her, but I literally have to be reminded of your name every day so I guess you're just projecting your lack of self-worth?"

When Bella moved out of the way of Jules trying to slap her, Angela grabbed her arm and led them toward the building, talking about her plans for the weekend.

"I really do like her," Jasper said.

Emmett had his fist pressed tightly against his mouth, but it did nothing to diminish his grin or the amusement in his eyes. "'Bitch, I might be.' Fucking Bells, man. But which part might she be?"

* * *

The slam of the microwave drew gold eyes away from her sketchbook and across the kitchen. Bella huffed, spinning around and crossing her arms as she leaned back against the counter. Her jaw was tight and her eyes hard, but the yellow santa hat she still hadn't taken off made her seem more so pouty than angry.

"You know there's nothing wrong with you, right?"

An unhappy smile twitched at the corner of her lips before she turned back to her drawing and started filling in part of the background. Halfway through a tree, she paused, setting down her pencil, but she didn't look up. "Bella, these people have seen me have visions. I tune out and back in or freeze up or my eyes glaze over and I keep doing what I'm doing. I'm the crazy girl of Forks."

Bella dropped into the chair next to her and her fist hit the table hard enough that the pencil bounced. "And that's bullshit!"

After a beat of silence, Alice whispered, "In 1920, I woke up alone in the forest in a shirt with 'Alice-251' on it. It was from an asylum. Wherever I go, I'll always be the crazy girl."

The microwave beeped.

"Never, to me." A warm hand covered hers and held it tightly. "Never with me."

She stared at their point of contact. At the fourth time Bella initiated in the month and a half they'd been friends.

"Fuck. No. Don't cry."

Alice swallowed and dragged her gaze to alarmed green eyes. "I—Bella?" She watched the shifter pull away and stand up. Before she knew it, Bella was sweeping her up in her arms, her feet far from the ground. It took a little over five seconds for her to reciprocate and bury her face in Bella's hair and settle her arms on strong shoulders. She sniffled.

"You're wonderful, you silly little vampire."

"I love you," Alice whispered into her ear.

Bella gave her a tight squeeze, the kind that made you forget other people existed.

The next day, even though there was some snow and ice, Bella Swan cartwheeled across a good fourth of the parking lot in front of a majority of the student body.

* * *

Considering the positive events of the week, she was hyper aware of Bella distancing herself. It was small things when, combined, made Alice feel sick. A tight jaw when she smiled. She spaced out more. Green eyes met gold less. Her phone was silenced. They walked farther apart.

By the second day of it, Alice had argued with Rosalie at least five times about not harassing Bella.

Even though Bella had started walking with both hands in her jacket pockets again.

Even though Bella was still wearing the santa hat, as promised.

Alice fidgeted with her pencil, glancing at the teacher busy at his desk before casting her eyes over to Bella's sketchbook. The shifter had stopped drawing and just stared down at the page. At the two renditions she'd crammed onto it.

There was a portrait of an older woman with lines in her face that suggested she'd smiled her way through life. She had a large hat and love in her eyes.

A boy who appeared a little older than Bella and had the same dimple as Charlie. He was kneeling on the ground, thumbs up as he grinned over a small fire. Some of his bangs fell into his eyes.

The grin puckered and distorted as a tear hit the ink.

"Bella?" Alice reached for her arm, but she checked the motion.

"This was the last time they smiled at me."

Before Alice could say something, or touch Bella, because damn her, Alice would be there for her whether she liked it or not, Bella dragged the tip of her pen across the page, tearing it and the next sheets as she went. Bella shoved her things into her bag and left with an excuse about seeing the nurse.

Bella hadn't come back to school the next two days.

And Alice had been lying on her bed since Friday afternoon and had no idea what time it was except that it was in the daylight hours of Saturday. The ceiling was her whole world.

That and the emptiness in her chest.

Hunting was a good idea.

But instead, she blindly slapped her hand around to find her phone and looked at her unanswered texts to Bella. She rolled onto her stomach and came face to face with a sketchbook. An image of a withdrawn Bella Swan burned into her eyes as if it wasn't already forever a part of her memories. She pushed it off the bed and it bounced, landing on a different page where green eyes still didn't look up at her.

Then a vision struck Alice and she flipped herself out of bed so fast the blanket fell. The hinges of her door shrieked, but it wasn't enough warning for poor Emmett as he got turned around while she rushed past him and down the stairs.

Alice was shifting her weight from foot to foot and staring at the front door like it had the answers to life itself when Esme came up beside her. She didn't say anything. Didn't ask anything. But she did adjust Alice's collar and prompt the first small smile from her in days.

It was another ten minutes before the sound of Charlie's cruiser coming up the long driveway reached them. Esme gave Alice a look as they waited and she threatened to shoot off through the door.

A minute after Charlie rang the doorbell, Esme answered him with a smile while Alice fidgeted off to the side, waiting. Waiting, waiting, waiting.

"Is it Bella?" she asked loudly as she came to Esme's side and ignored the roll of gold eyes directed at her. "Oh. Hi, Charlie."

He nodded at her while he rubbed the back of his neck, still in uniform. "Hey, Alice. I actually came hoping to talk to you. Uhm. Are you alright? Did—Did you two have a fight? I'll drag her here and have her apologize. I don't care how she—"

"No! No, we didn't have a fight. What can I do for you?"

"Ah. Well. Guessing you've noticed Bells being...off. Has she talked to you?"

"I wish she had."

Charlie's hand went into his jacket pocket and stayed there, his eyes never staying in one place. "Well, I'm off early today and spending the weekend at the Reservation. I was hoping you could, well, I don't know. Anything, really. I don't know what to do for her and she won't talk to me. I've barely seen her since Wednesday."

Her lips parted, but she didn't say anything. As much as she wanted to know what happened with Bella, as much as she _needed_ Bella back to herself, the idea of going to her had Alice...afraid.

"If you don't want to, that's fine. The last time she was like this she was pretty volatile and then she just, just clammed up. Skipped right to closing herself off this time." Charlie scratched some stubble on his cheek. "Guessing she didn't want to be hurtful, but I tried cracking that shell anyway and it didn't work."

"I'll give it a go and weaponize my cuteness. She owes me an apology anyway."

Charlie chuckled, pulling a key from his pocket and depositing it into her hand. "Bells is doomed. I don't know how she could say no to _cute, rambunctious Ali_."

"Similarly, I don't know how Alice can stay away from _sweet, silly Bella_."

"Esme!" Alice clutched the key to her chest as she glanced between the two laughing at her expense.

"Well, I'll go on my way now and swing by the house. I won't be there long and definitely not letting her know you're coming so you can ambush her."

They bid him farewell and, after scowling at Esme and receiving an affectionate smile, Alice darted off to change her clothes. She paced her room to keep from running straight to Bella's house and tried not to think too much because Bella Swan was hard to plan for.

Just as she was finally about to leave, however, she got an idea and retrieved something from atop her dresser.

* * *

 **A/N:** The santa hat! Ugh. Goodness. Don't worry, there's a sharp, upward curve toward lighter notes in the first few hundred words of the next chapter. *points at the genres I marked for the story* And a good time, for more than a few reasons. Next we're getting some answers! And some gay. And some cute. Like, buckle up type of cute and gay. And it might be like 6-9k, just as a warning.


	8. A Physical Confession

**A/N:** In which Rosalie almost has a stroke.

It's almost 2 in the morning, I didn't edit, I need to sleep for work tomorrow, bye

(I'd love to respond to reviews, but see the above. Just know you guys are great and I reread them, okay. You guys are rad.)

 **Neddie:** I gotchu. Don't worry about the vamp in Bella's past, it's all good, and he's only really mentioned in passing later. The whole incident is, actually. I'll let you know when it or any fights come up, though, since I'm not sure if those count for you. No worries. Thank you for telling me.

* * *

Bella's room was a mess. Empty soda cans and pizza boxes took up a section of her dresser while everything else looked like a tornado consisting of art tore through it. She stepped around a large art portfolio with various spray paintings stacked on it and eyed the portraits and paintings and what looked like an oversized comic panel littering the bed among a mess of pens and markers. Finally, she got to the dresser and set down her box next to a motorcycle helmet and a glasses case that piqued her curiosity.

Over the sound of the shower running, Bella called, "If I'm not crazy and you're actually here, can you give me a shirt and some pants?"

Alice navigated to her closet and sighed upon opening it. Bella needed more clothes in her life. But gold eyes did spy a pair of jeans she hadn't seen before and grabbed a shirt to go with it, a small smirk on her face. Bella cracked the door before she could knock, revealing her still-dripping hair and impassive expression, and took the clothes with a mumble of thanks.

There wasn't exactly a place to sit—a bunch of books and sketchbooks were even piled on the chair at the drawing table—so Alice just idled by the motorcycle helmet. It was fairly new.

Bella started talking through the door. "I was actually about to go throw rocks at your window until you agreed to talk to me even if it meant Rosalie kicking my ass into oblivion and—Really, Alice? Why this?" She came out the bathroom and pointed at the outfit.

It was a good choice. The jeans and tanktop were _snug_ and, well, Alice could be honest. So she shrugged a shoulder. "I have eyes. And I really need to take you shopping, this is a crime. But where did those jeans come from?"

"You're not wearing a necklace?" Bella's brow furrowed and Alice wondered if she'd even processed the compliment. Probably not. "You have like a million of them."

"Shush, I'm talking about something important."

Bella took a couple steps toward her but stopped abruptly when Alice took a half-step back. They stared at opposite walls.

It'd be so easy to pretend the majority of the week hadn't happened, but it had. But even for the way they fell into conversation, Bella felt unreachable, like she wasn't really there.

Green eyes still hadn't met hers for more than two seconds at a time.

An ache still filled her chest.

"I," Bella sighed, heavy and defeated, "I'm sorry. I—"

In the time it took Bella to blink, Alice closed the distance and slapped her, the impact ringing out in the room. But before she could touch her red cheek, Alice was hugging her tight, blinking away tears and murmuring into Bella's shoulder, "I miss you."

"I miss you too."

Bella was putting her arms around Alice when she closed her eyes and admitted, "I thought I overwhelmed you."

"Never."

"Please don't do this again."

"Alice, I—"

"Please."

She pulled back enough to make Alice look up at her somewhat pained expression. "I don't want to snap at you because of my shit mood. You might forgive me but it would fuck me up, dude. I'd have to fight myself because I'd fight someone for upsetting you."

A sigh puffed out of Alice. Lightly shaking the shifter, she said, "But you upset me anyway, Bella."

"I know. I battle myself at dawn."

Dark eyes rolled. She contained her laugh. "Bella, I—"

Bella kissed the top of her head and murmured another apology, an incredibly tired one. She squeezed Alice tighter and another sigh rattled out her lungs. "Go hunt? And I'll clean up."

"Your room _is_ surprisingly chaotic, but I like it? Well I'd like it better if there was space for me and some art I did and fewer pizza boxes and Pepsi cans."

"You leave me and my depression alone!"

* * *

Alice wasn't halfway in the window when Bella pointed a pen at her. "If you're moving in, you should really bring some clothes."

She stayed there, one leg out the window, blinking. Her eyes cast around the room in hopes of finding an answer, but she only found that it was cleaner and a majority of the art hurricane was by the drawing table. "What?"

Bella's pen flicked toward the dresser but she didn't look up from her work. "Your mystery box."

"Oh!" Alice closed the window, snatched up the box and sat next to Bella at the headboard so fast the shifter's sketchbook jerked out of her hands and to the floor. She stifled her giggle. "Sorry."

"Yeah, sure," Bella mumbled as she leaned off the bed to close the sketchbook. She looked at the box in Alice's lap before elbowing her. "So whatcha got there?"

"Oh, no. This?" Alice shook it a little bit before turning so that she was entirely facing Bella on the bed. "This is for after."

Bella groaned.

"Are you okay?"

The shifter scratched at a reasonably new ink stain on her jeans. "Can't you just be mad?"

"Bella."

"Alice."

"Bella!"

"Alice!"

Fighting her smile, she slapped Bella's arm. "No! You don't get to just do that. No, no pouting either. I am here to be serious."

"Clearly the sky is on fire." She sighed before looking to Alice and away. Her hand went in a small circles as she searched for words. "Someone who causes an emotional response in me called. And called. Eventually I answered. Did not go well. Aaaand instead of taking out my anger and sadness on people I care about...I holed up and did a lot of commissions and I'm not even sure what day it is. And now you're here and I'm sorry and you forgive me and you're telling me what's in the box."

"Nope."

Bella narrowed her eyes. "What? But we talked about it!"

Suddenly Alice had more perspective on Rosalie's frequent desires to throw someone out the nearest window. She sat back against the headboard again, blinking.

"What?"

"Rose, Jasper, and Edward can be terribly indirect and difficult, but at least I can _see_ them so it's not that frustrating. But I'm in the dark with you." She looked at green eyes. "Are relationships with people always this...trying? Not to say that I'm sick of you, but that I'm unused to effort and—Why are you smiling? Did I say something?"

"Nah. No." Bella ran a hand through her hair and raised one of her knees to rest her arm against it. The small, quiet smile remained. "I just forget that you're a psychic vampire sometimes."

Alice's nose crinkled as she hummed in agreement. "I suppose it doesn't help I have no human experience to go off of."

Absently, Alice traced the edges of the top of the box sitting on her thigh. Hearing her family talk about their time as humans and seeing humans couldn't compare to actual experience. It was just a fact. A hole in her life. But she was a vampire and lived among vampires so it shouldn't be a problem. But sometimes it was.

"Don't you though?"

Her brow furrowed. Green eyes didn't meet hers.

"You struggle. You make mistakes and you learn. You love. You have passions. Yeah, okay, sure, you can see the future and you're a vampire. But! But, you're basically on equal footing with other vamps and me. Well, you're tougher than me, but the point is that's the same for humans. So, you know?" Bella hopped off the bed and ran a hand through her hair before looking at Alice again. "Let's build on your human experiences. Let's go."

Her lips moved but she didn't say anything at first. The words she wanted to say were inappropriate for their current dynamic. "Where do—Where are we going?"

"No fucking idea."

Alice blinked. "Okay. But Esme has a cheesecake waiting for you today."

"Today like now?"

So Bella did like cheesecake, judging from her wide eyes and sudden searching for her keys.

* * *

Somehow, Alice felt she should've known Rosalie would keep this from being a quick thing. She should've. And yet here she was scowling at a smirking Rosalie while Bella tried to convince her to surrender the cheesecake.

"Mm, no. I don't think so."

"Can't you be a bully a different day? And with something else?" Bella sighed, staring at the oreo cheesecake in Rosalie's hands.

"No. I was mad at you and I missed you. That's not a combination of feelings I like."

"Rose," she whined.

The blonde's smirk grew as she took a step forward. " _Maybe_ I can be convinced if—"

Esme appeared with a tired sigh. "Rosalie Hale."

Alice ignored Esme's glance in her direction and wondered if Bella could hear her teeth grinding too. Probably not. She was huffing at Rosalie's thinly veiled sexual remark even as the space between them dwindled. Meanwhile she couldn't even get Bella, her mate, to flirt with her.

Truly, a cruel world.

"You know what, Hale?"

"What's that?"

Esme muttered, "Is it my children suddenly being mature?"

"You have a point."

Rosalie raised an eyebrow, watching Bella's every move with suspicion as the shifter stepped closer. "No. I really don't."

Humming, Bella placed her hands on the container that created the small distance between them gently. No intentions of stealing it, no threats, no nothing. Just staring. Then she leaned forward, so far in the vampire's space that she stopped breathing. Rosalie wasn't blinking. Bella's heart was excited. A small puff of air noted Bella's amusement just before she brought herself nose to nose with the blonde. Some of Bella's hair slipped forward to gently bounce off Rosalie's cheek. "Hale."

"Swan."

The low, almost warning undertone to Rosalie's normally composed voice demonstrated she _knew_ Bella this way, or knew her this way at least once. It demonstrated she wanted to know Bella this way more than once.

Bella's smirk stretched into a lazy grin.

Rosalie's eyes were amber.

Then Bella flicked her tongue across cold lips and spun on her heel with the cheesecake in hand. "Bye, babe! C'mon, Alice, let's go."

She left them in the living room, staring at nothing, at each other, at the space she used to occupy. She left Esme with a hand to her chest. She left Alice with a feeling in the pit of her stomach from the gleam in green eyes, left Alice dizzy from that excited grin that was barely contained by biting her tongue.

Most notably, she left Rosalie Hale frozen, with parted lips and black, unblinking eyes.

* * *

Simple things spoke a lot about dynamics. For example, there was always a sketchbook on the kitchen table, tucked against the wall, and it had a heart drawn on the front in sharpie that definitely wasn't done by Bella. Considering the things Bella had been through in Phoenix, it warmed Alice's heart that she and Charlie got along so well after not properly seeing each other for a while. And after him finding out his daughter turned into a massive wolf.

"When was the last time you shifted?"

The fork paused in its journey to Bella's mouth and green eyes slid from the window to Alice.

"You don't know?"

Bella set down her fork, for the first time taking a breath from shovelling the cheesecake into her face. "No. I know exactly when. In Phoenix."

A frown pulled at half of Alice's mouth as she slid forward in her chair and laid her hands flat on the table between them. It was all she could do from reaching out and holding one of Bella's hands. "That might be why you're feeling off, too, you know. Maybe you should shift."

"And do what?"

"I'm a vampire, Bella, I don't have all the answers."

"But you're psychic!" Bringing her fists down on the table made her fork rattle off her plate. "And old!"

"Suddenly, I don't feel like talking to you."

"Oh, come on. You don't look a day over twelve."

A slight screech of wood on tile filled the air as Alice pushed on the table to scoot her chair back. She barely got to her feet before Bella jumped up to push on her shoulder and harass her back into her chair. "We aren't friends anymore."

"I treasure you too, pipsqueak." Bella smirked at the pout directed her way and went back to her cheesecake.

The air between them felt better. It really did. But Alice still had concerns and now she couldn't stop thinking about Bella _licking_ Rosalie's lips.

Or that almost feral type of grin Bella failed to fully suppress.

"Pen?" She tapped her fingers together when Bella looked up. She accepted the pen produced from Bella's pocket and hummed a little at the answer to her unspoken question when the sketchbook was pushed her way. The pen flew across the first empty page she found and her mouth moved to distract herself. "I'm having issues because there's a fashion event coming up where some of my designs are being featured but I can't decide on what to wear. Just when I think I finalize it, I think it's garbage. And then I think, new dress? What about one similar to the featured designs? One of the featured designs? Or what if I wind up with something that counters my designs too much? And then Rose kicks me out the garage or her room."

"Okay. Wait. Pause. Hold your calls and stop the horses."

She looked up from turning the page, frozen aside from blinking.

There was a sigh as Bella dragged her hands across her face. "You not only enjoy fashion but partake in the industry."

"Yes."

"And you—you can move, you know. And you, like, won."

"More or less, you could say that."

Bella gave a slow nod before settling her chin on her palms and bracing her elbows on the table. "That is fucking amazing. You're amazing."

Waving her hand, she rolled her eyes. "It's nothing."

"It's definitely something."

A soft quality laced the words in such a way that Alice glanced at her out the corner of her eye as she drummed her fingers on the table and looked around the room. It was literally little things like that dragged Alice deeper into her affections.

"You've gotta show me later."

"I can show you now!"

Bella watched her flip a few pages and blew some hair from her face. "I don't feel like going back to your house, though."

"I'm a vampire, silly." She tapped her temple before she moved the pen across the paper in a blur that made Bella's eyes cross. Not two minutes later, she rotated the sketchbook and slid it over to Bella.

And Bella surprised her by pushing aside the last of her cheesecake to give it her undivided attention. Her eyes bounced from notes and color labels to each design and back. There were little murmurs and "oh, that's good" and hums. She did it for the three pages Alice had filled before tapping on one. "This is my favorite. I love the colors you went with, though I bet the actual thing is better than I'm imagining it. And the fucking off the shoulder mixed with this sash is daring as fuck to me. Love the cut of it."

Nothing came out of Alice's mouth as she stared at Bella, who flipped between the second and third page still.

"Yup. That one. Who's your date?" Bella looked up after not receiving an answer and tilted her head. "Isn't a date pretty much required for those things?"

Alice started to blink again. "Kind of. And I don't have one."

"If you don't find a date in time, I'll go with you."

"I was just going to go alone." She couldn't be hearing Bella right. "You'd be my date?"

"What kind of friend would I be if I let you go alone? And for such an accomplishment? Who do you take me for? I'm down for anything like that."

Her blinking was slow and it occurred to her she was hardly breathing, but Alice didn't know what to do with Bella's casual air clashing with the topic. Clarity was needed. "Wouldn't that mean we were dating if you were constantly my date to things?"

Shrugging, Bella returned the sketchbook and looked Alice dead in the face as she retrieved the last couple bites of her cheesecake. "Guess so. People who go on dates are dating, right? Like, by definition?"

Alice felt her eye twitch as she continued to bore her gaze into her mate. "Okay. I think it'd be easier and make the most sense if you're my date to an event in Paris that you'd likely have to miss school for in March."

"Cool."

"Which means we're dating."

There was a positive hum as Bella got up to wash her plate.

Little did she know Alice almost flipped the table to go shake her.

* * *

She'd hardly spent any time in the house after leaving Bella's. Her mind was chaos and her emotions but a maze on fire. The decision to be alone wasn't solely out of consideration for others. She needed to center herself.

A breeze with the strength of oncoming winter whipped through the trees in a wave until it reached her at her perch on a branch. Hunting was a possibility, a possibility but still something that felt empty. It was the same as her attempt at running. She didn't know what to do with herself.

There hadn't been a sign from Bella of a change in their dynamic for the rest of the afternoon until Alice excused herself. Which wasn't to say she didn't enjoy the background music to them idly drawing in the same room. It was just that she needed answers to something she didn't know how to ask because Bella was too damn nonchalant about life itself.

Weren't shifters supposed to be wild and emotional and prone to anger?

Sighing, Alice jumped to another tree, then another. She moved through the forest without purpose and as she did, it became automatic and slowly drew her away from thinking. Her efforts at forgetting herself were abandoned as she stilled in a tree, breaking a branch from her momentum. Then she was off once more toward the sound of a large, steady heart.

It was almost storybook, bumping into Bella in the woods at night.

But this time, a certain excitement filled Alice's chest because she was already flying through ideas on the color of Bella's coat.

She eventually paused and cocked her head at the sight below.

Sure enough, Bella was out and about at night again. She'd shifted like Alice suggested. However, she was lying next to a river, nose nearly in the water as she stared at her own reflection. Her ears were down and the moonlight casted a silver tone to her somewhat dark fur.

Alice noted the black line going down Bella's back was cute before dropping to the ground and taking slow steps over. Still no response. "Bella?"

The wolf jumped to her feet and there was a moment of just the river moving along its eternal course and a lone bird in the distance. Then Bella's ears went up and she stooped a little at the front, her tail wagging so suddenly it started shearing off parts of a bush.

"I...was going to ask if you're okay?"

Bella let out a short bark and jumped to the side, tail never slowing.

Alice covered a smile even though she could feel her eyes crinkling at the corners. "I see you took my advice."

Large paws beat the ground as Bella nodded before jumping to the side again.

"Do you—" Gold eyes roved around before settling on Bella again. Her big brown eyes were so full of clear delight that Alice was having a hard time keeping this distance. "Do you want to play or something?"

Bella paced in place with a small woof.

"Okay, but what?"

That made Bella's tail still, and then she sat and Alice could swear she looked like she was frowning.

Bella Swan would be the end of her.

But then an idea came to Alice. She darted forward, and she had to jump to do it, but she tapped a finger to Bella's nose once before zipping off into the trees with a giggle. "Tag!"

A large wolf chased a vampire through the forest.


	9. Satellite, Shine On Me

**A/N:** Missed you guys and this story, I feel awkward and tired so I'm just dropping this and bailing to play a video game. No editing, we die like men

#Alice wants to fuck a wolf

* * *

"So you're together?"

Alice sighed before locking her arms tighter around her books as she looked at Emmett. The ease of him sliding his arm around Rosalie as they leaned against her car was something Alice felt jealous of. "Maybe."

After glancing at Jasper, who shrugged, Edward cleared his throat and offered a small smile. "You said you're dating?"

"But what does that _mean_ to that dumb dog?"

"I don't know!"

"Not only is it too early for this," Jasper said, "but she's coming this way."

"It wouldn't be too early if Alice had talked about this days ago and—Don't you fucking shush me, Edward."

"Rose," Alice hissed.

She hissed back but otherwise kept her thoughts to herself. Well, aside from a few rude ones thrown Edward's way.

Once Bella had made it to the empty parking spaces the students of Forks gave them as a sort of instinctive need for survival, she pulled out one of her earbuds. An idle smile brightened her face in the too early hour of the day she claimed she wasn't a person and her hand left her pocket with a small wave. She adjusted the yellow santa hat on her head.

Her gait didn't slow as it normally did. Instead, she walked directly to Alice and seemed oblivious to the silent question in gold eyes. Bella's arms went around her despite the books Alice still held to her chest and lifted her off the ground in a hug. Then, with Alice standing on her own again, Bella stood at her shoulder, hands in pockets. "Hey, guys."

They each returned her greeting, but in a muted way that shifted her smile to a frown and had her eyes moving between them. Her gaze lingered on Emmett's twitching lips as he failed at suppressing a grin.

"I'll just," she took a step back and jerked her head toward the building, "stop interrupting whatever this is and see you guys later. Later."

They watched Bella backpedal before spinning around and returning her earbud to its place as she went to meet up with Angela.

And then a series of hisses fired back at each other while a few sighs filled the air.

* * *

Alice's day carried on very much the same and she easily went past her record for arguing with Rosalie before lunch. She'd even turned off her phone. Unfortunately, as she poked a flimsy spork against a bottle of water, she couldn't turn off her hearing.

"Just kiss her."

Edward tapped his fingers on their table. "Surely you mean after a nice date?"

"My thoughts are open right now. Don't ask stupid questions."

There was little comfort in Jasper sighing at the same time as her, but it was still there. Alice pushed away her tray and leaned against the table, hands over her eyes. "You want me to just walk up and kiss her."

God, she sounded tired even to herself.

"I don't see what's confusing about this. Which is the point. Bella's an idiot and you need to be idiot-proof."

"I'm not doing that."

"Oh, thank goodness."

"Fine. I'll do it."

Emmett's laugh made Alice feel like kicking him, but he was too far away. "Please do."

"Fuck off, Rose."

There was a tap on Alice's right shoulder, followed by a second, more insistent but no less polite tap. She turned her head to look at Edward through her fingers. Not seeing his whole face made his eyebrows seem far too big.

"She is rather serious."

"I am."

Alice dropped her hands and leaned back in her chair. Her shoulders slumped as her eyes drifted to Rosalie and her straight back. "That excitement in your voice on Friday was serious."

It was like Alice had cut their table off from the rest of the cafeteria, from the world, and removed sound itself. Most of them had gone still.

It was a minute before Emmett scooted closer to his mate and settled his arm around her shoulders. His jaw was set in a way he'd never directed at Alice.

Rosalie Hale dropped her gaze in a rare display. "I feel a connection to her I don't know how to explain. Regardless, I went too far in one of our games one day—when I brought her to the house." For the first time, Rosalie's eyes were still a bright gold while she looked into darker ones. "There's something wild inside of her I hope you don't hide yourself from. We all know you're a vampire as much as you are anything else and you don't have to keep that from her."

* * *

It wasn't intentional. In fact, as she slowed at the doorway while students rushed around her, she kept thinking of all the times today she'd focused on things other than Bella to keep her sanity. To keep from analyzing every breath Bella took.

For example, did the fact Bella's chair was closer to Alice's than usual in class mean anything?

Probably not.

Did Alice spend half an hour thinking about it and how many times Bella looked at her?

Unfortunately.

So it wasn't intentional that she'd exited the school in time to see Bella chatting with Angela at the bottom of the stairs.

So it wasn't intentional when her long-frozen heart warmed at the sound of Bella's honest laugh.

Need bundled inside of her chest and choked itself as it constricted her.

Alice went down the stairs a little too fast. Her books fell from her hands as she stopped on the step above Bella to throw her arms around warm shoulders from behind. She had to be on her tiptoes, but it was worth it because of the deeper laugh that left Bella. A hand reached up and held onto one of her forearms and gave a small squeeze.

"You guys are so cute."

And Alice remembered Angela was a person. A person with genuine happiness in her face even though they weren't friends and Alice had technically barged into their conversation.

"It's mostly Alice. She has to pick up the slack for me."

Angela's eyes rolled as she adjusted her beanie and her glasses in turn. "Like I said, you guys are cute. What I didn't say was anything about the distribution of cuteness."

Alice could feel Bella's chest vibrate with her hum. "Correct you are."

A distance came to Angela's eyes for a second before she snapped her fingers. "Alice, how do you feel about chess?"

"I feel like everyone thinks I cheat." When Bella snorted, she opened her mouth with a comeback, but it never made it to her lips. The fact Bella's thumb started stroking her arm was too much of a surprise.

Angela let out a little laugh with the shake of her head. "I'm sure it's all lies and slander. Anyway, I asked because Bella's coming to a chess tournament next week I stupidly signed up for."

There was a hiss of "say something" from across the lot, but Alice continued to just blink. The soft spot she had for this human her mate liked grew and it occurred to her that Angela Weber might become a person she would miss.

"If Alice is free, I'll drag her along and try to keep her from bouncing out her seat and cartwheeling around."

"Hey!"

"Sounds good! Well, not all of us are as warm as you, so I'm going home to drag a blanket everywhere with me and frustrate my mom. Bye, guys."

Alice had every intention of letting go and retrieving her textbooks from the concrete when Bella squeezed her arm again.

"Wait."

Bella pulled out her phone and flipped the camera, eyebrow cocked as she mumbled to herself and searched for a good angle. Her annoyed huff was cut off by a small half-smile once Alice pressed her cheek to hers and beamed at the camera.

"Well, I guess," Bella said as she looked at the photo. "It's a sin that there's evidence of me wearing a bright color now, but it's nice."

Slapping Bella's santa hat earned her a glare.

* * *

"You're being weird."

"No." Alice spun around to look at her, blinking. She should've asked how instead of outright denying it. But it was too late for that so she turned back toward their course through the forest and hopped onto a fallen tree. "I'm always weird, remember?"

The tree shifted when Bella joined her on it. "Delightfully, yeah, but this is...painful."

"Painful?"

Life continued on outside of them. Birds chirped to each other and that one beetle somewhere east of them was hissing at something. Leaves whispered to each other in the faint wind.

The sad note of Alice's voice hung in the air.

If her heart was still alive, it would've been trying to escape her chest. But it wasn't. It was cold and unmoving and silent, just like she was.

Then there was a sigh and the sound of part of the tree breaking and crumbling. Alice turned to see Bella sitting there, face reminding her of Rosalie on a day where her heart ached alone. Her hands were in fists at her sides, pressed against the mossy wood.

Alice sat next to her. Maybe too close, maybe not close enough.

A sigh and a swallow. Bella's hand went through her hair and the motion caught Alice's eyes, and then she was studying the tattoo again.

"Is it..." Bella more so huffed than sighed and drew her knee up. Her head tilted, her hair falling over her shoulder as her eyes closed.

Needy, against her best judgment, slowly, breathlessly, Alice scooted over to defeat the space between them. Her knee was against Bella's thigh and her knuckles brushed Bella's warm ones.

God, Bella was always so warm. Sunlight spilling through a window, a hot mug in your hands on a cold morning, the feeling of not being alone.

"Is it the dating thing? I know you have your mate thing so I understand if you—"

"What about your imprint thing?"

Bella choked. Coughed and sputtered and, under Alice's hand flying to her back, almost got sent off the tree. Her shoulders jerked in a weak excuse for a shrug.

The tips of Alice's fingers ghosted over the top of Bella's fist. "I'm a selfish creature so I need to know."

"About yourself?" A short, nervous laugh issued out of Bella. It was strange considering her general confidence in life, but it was reinforced by her cursing herself under her breath and trying to edge away.

Alice caught her fist. Too fast. Too fast but she couldn't remember how to breathe or hear anything over the heartbeat she would know anywhere in the world. She was shifting closer, pressing closer, and all the practice of containing herself paid off by letting her touch Bella's jaw without breaking it. Alice turned her head so that green eyes would finally meet hers. When her lips parted, she didn't say anything, couldn't think of anything to say. There were too many things ricocheting around her mind.

A majority of the panic slid off Bella's face, but her heart still charged on. She swallowed and her voice was quiet. "Forever is a long time."

Maybe it was the lull of the forest or the electricity in her veins or how deep green eyes were, but Alice didn't feel a surge of panic or guilt or fear over the exact thing she'd thought about a number of times. Her fingers took their time in splaying across Bella's cheek like she might catch fire if she moved any faster. "It doesn't seem that way when you live one day at a time."

"I noticed. Time just...goes by."

"It does." Some part of Alice's brain said something about her control, but she was nearly deaf to it as her other hand slid up to Bella's wrist and she shifted to her knees. "Rose is right."

"I don't know what about but that's probably true."

A smile curved Alice's mouth before she bit her lip. "You're an idiot."

"You're pretty."

"Pretty enough to kiss?" Alice murmured.

Opting for action instead of words, Bella got a fistful of her shirt and pulled, and it was the end of Alice's control.

Bella's lips were warm and soft just like the rest of her, just like the feeling she created in Alice's chest. She was an eternity of want—fulfilled. She felt like forever. The feeling of not being alone.

A shudder went through her and she sighed against Bella's lips, letting her forehead rest against a hot one and enjoying the temperature difference. Her other hand found Bella's face and she brushed her thumbs against the skin there.

There was a faint squeeze on her hips and she became acutely aware she'd moved into Bella's lap.

"If you tell me I'm your mate, I'm going to feel incredibly stupid."

"You're my idiot." She dipped her head again to drop a lingering kiss on the corner of Bella's mouth.

"Alice, I think you're too much right now."

The low tone to her voice coupled with another squeeze on her hips didn't help. Alice's hands slid into her hair. And her lips were on Bella's again. She ran her tongue across Bella's lower lip and when the shifter shuddered, she growled.

Bella broke the kiss with a tight jaw and eyes Alice could drown in. "Alice."

"I know, I know. I just. I need." She gave a slight pull to Bella's hair before moving her hands down to strong shoulders, looking anywhere else. "Can I walk you home?"

The gentle hold on her hips changed the instant she tried to get up, and she dropped her gaze back to Bella's. There was that rare, serious quality to green eyes, and they reflected her own black ones. "You've been containing yourself too much."

"You're worth it."

Bella reached up to push aside a crazy lock of hair that liked hovering over Alice's left eyebrow. "I'm terribly fond of you, one day at a time. Can I take you out on Saturday?"

She touched Bella's face. "I'm terribly fond of you, forever."


End file.
